Pride & Prejudice
by writergirl438
Summary: A classic tale with a modern twist and a whole lot of rangers! Please do read & review.
1. The Earhardts

**Pride & Prejudice**

Hey there**, **this is my first fanfiction and my first attempt at writing romance. It's probably been rewritten to death but here's my take on the classic Jane Austen novel _Pride & Prejudice_ starring the voluminous cast of 'Power Rangers'. From MMPR to Megaforce, rangers, allies and villains alike will find their way into this tale. One that will take a few twists and turns but hopefully capture the same essence and heart as this well-loved classic.

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or Pride & Prejudice._**

**Chapter 1: ****_The Earhardts_**

"_It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little is known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters..."_

"Taylor!"

so screeched a plump middle-aged woman standing on the back porch of her colonial home. Arms on her hips, lips curled into a frown and eyes narrowed she strained to catch a glimpse of her AWOL daughter. Though short in stature she held herself high in daring heels that complemented the crisp cream and brown ensemble she wore. With not a hair out of place it was clear she was dressed for a purpose, one that did not include tardy daughters.

"Taylor Earhardt, you come inside right now! Our guests will be arriving any moment, and don't pretend you can't hear me young lady," she called out before turning on her heel with an impatient huff and storming back inside.

The young woman in question shut the thick volume she was reading with a sigh and lifted her head to the sky. She was sitting at her favourite spot on the Earhardt Estate, under a large tree at the far end from where she had get a clear view of the jets that flew past from the Air Force base that was not far from they lived and had been her home for the past two years.

As a child Taylor had always dreamed of flying as she sat in the same spot and watched the jets zoom overhead with unrivaled glee and excitement. It was with this infatuation with flying that she had gone to her father with her hopes of becoming a pilot and maybe even joining the Air Force. However her mother would have none of it.

Rita Earhardt believed in doing things the 'proper way' and that included raising her daughters to be fine, respectable young women and marrying them off too respectable young men who would look after them. By this logic being a pilot was no career for a young lady and the Air Force no place for one. Taylor however was not to be deterred, as soon as she graduated from college she enrolled in the Air Force much to her mother's dismay and had quickly risen to the rank of Lieutenant, something her father was very proud of, being a retired army man himself.

In fact, people often pointed out that Taylor was her father's favourite and Zedd Earhardt didn't feel the need to correct them. Of his five daughters he would be the first to admit that his second eldest was the most independent and free-spirited. She was quick, fearless and had a stubbornness about her that could make a mule seem amenable.

At the moment however, the young woman wearily left her hideaway and made her way across the estate what kind of spectacle her family was most likely creating inside. The Earhardt estate was not a large one but it was beautiful nonetheless. To Taylor it felt like a different world entirely even though the estate was located just outside the city of Turtle Cove.

Quietly she crept in through the back door and shared an exasperated look with their housekeeper, Adele when an excited squeal resonated through the house. Sighing in defeat she put her book down on the nearest table and checked her appearance in the mirror that hung in the hallway. Her attire was simple, a pair of black pants paired with a pale yellow shirt while her blonde hair fell messily passed her shoulders. While in her opinion there was nothing wrong with what she was wearing she was far from what her mother deemed as acceptable, but it was too late to do anything about it.

As she neared the parlour, she could only make out feminine voices chatting and immediately deduced that her father and Colonel Truman and escaped into the study. Standing by the door she carefully peered inside hoping to assess the situation before making an appearance.

In the center on the room, her mother and Mrs. Truman, a well dressed dark skinned woman, were busy gossiping in hushed tones occasionally startling the rest with a loud fit of giggles. As she rolled her eyes at their behavior Taylor once again found herself trying to understand how two people as different as her parents ever ended up married. Her father was a straight- laced, no-nonsense man although it could not be said that he did not have a sense of humour. Still he rarely ever spoke when he didn't have to and preferred the solitary hours he spent in his study to prancing about it social company. Her mother on the other hand lived for parties and balls and her favourite past time included comparing notes on the goings on in and about town with her friends.

Tuning back to the parlour, the elder women were joined by Taylor's elder sister Jen who was enjoying a polite conversation with their friend Katie. The oldest of the Earhardt sisters, Jen was also – as their mother constantly pointed out - was the most beautiful with delicate brown locks that fell to her shoulders and gentle brown eyes.

She had always been the popular girl, the one everyone loved and she still was. She was also confident, strong-willed and an efficient leader but that was before Alex Drake. He was the first boy Jen had fallen in love with and before she realized it was in over her head, but Alex it appeared did not feel the same way. They dated for a few months and were good together so much so that their mother had begun entertaining thoughts of him proposing right out of high school. However, it was not meant to be, out of the blue without any real reason he broke up with her, publicly humiliating her. Jen was never the same since. She had lost her confidence, especially when it came to relationships. But there was one thing that Taylor admired most about her sister and that was irrespective of what happened she had not lost her good nature. She still believed in seeing the good in people, a little too much than Taylor would have liked but that was who she was. Jen had originally planned on studying Law but with the loss of her confidence, her resolve to commit to it was also lost and she opted for a career in fashion instead something their mother was extremely happy about.

Seated across from the duo was Rose, the middle child and the family's resident genius. Her posture was stiff and a book lay open in her lap but it was obvious that her attention was elsewhere. Straight-laced Rose kept her dark locks short barley allowing them to reach her shoulders. It was a hairstyle she had maintained since she was little claiming that she had more important things to do than waste time tending to her hair. These more important things turned out to be studying. Rose possessed a genius level IQ and despite there being a five year age difference she graduated High School the same year as Jen. Science and technology were her areas of expertise and she had a particular interest in robotics. She had just returned from London where she had been asked to assist on a research project. Her return was marked by an interest in what it meant to be an accomplished woman and had thus begun her exploration of the world of art and etiquette with rather comical results.

The thing that struck Taylor most about her sister was her focus. When pursuing a book there was very little that could distract her at the moment however she was far more focused on casting reproachful glances at their youngest sisters to pay attention to the book in front of her.

Marah and Kapri, the youngest of the five with barely a year's difference between them were practically like twins. However Kapri who was technically the youngest was also the more dominant of the two. The girls were flirtatious socialites who as their father put it had nothing of substance in their heads and because of their mother's influence had painted for themselves rosy pictures of a prince charming coming to sweep them off their feet so they could live happily ever after. Marah was the slightly more level headed of the two but was easily influenced and often followed Kapri's lead, thankfully the other girls were able to stop her from dying her lovely brown hair pink when Kapri did the same to her blonde locks.

The two them were currently shamelessly flirting with the Trumans' son Scott who although he appeared to be uncomfortable seemed to be enjoying the attention. Scott like Taylor was a combat pilot and the two got along rather well having grow up together sharing a similar passion and looking up to Scott's elder brother Marcus. Highly amused at his current predicament she couldn't help but laugh.

"Pray tell me dear, what is it that you find so amusing?"

Having been caught out she stepped into the room with traces of laughter still on her lips.

"It's nothing mom, just a stray thought," she lied.

Her arrival caught everyone's attention and Mrs. Earhardt gave her daughter a disapproving look while Mrs. Truman's was an appraising one. Jen and Katie tried their best to hide their laughter while Scott's eyes lit up. The others merely looked up before going right back to what they were doing.

"It's nice to see you again Mrs. Truman. Katie. Scott," Taylor greeted each of them

"It's nice to see you to dear. Are you on leave?" Mrs. Truman inquired.

"Yes, I just got home two days ago."

"That's wonderful! You'll be home all summer then. My poor Scott has to leave immediately after the Summer Ball. It's such a shame he got stationed all the way in Corinth. You're very lucky to have been stationed so close to home."

"Oh no my dear Elle, it's not like that all. Even being so close we haven't seen her for months," Mrs. Earhardt countered.

Taylor smiled to herself. Though her mother did not miss an opportunity to make it know how much she disapproved of her daughter's choice of career when it came to comparing notes on their children she was her biggest supporter.

"Taylor" said Katie springing from her seat to hug her friend. "It's been forever hasn't it."

"Now let's get out of here" she whispered so only Taylor could hear.

Taking her cue Jen rose from her seat and walked over to the others linking her arm through Taylor's

"Uh… Mom would it be alright if we stepped out for a bit, we have a lot to catch up on."

"Oh of course dear," her mother beamed.

And the three girls trooped out leaving their mothers to their gossip, Rose to her book and Scott at the mercy of the youngest Earhardts. The moment the three of them stepped into the backyard and were certain they were at a safe enough distance they fell apart bursting into laughter.

* * *

><p>That's it for now, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Do review and let me know what you think. Questions and criticism are welcome.<p>

Till next time…


	2. Of Predicaments and Proposals

Thanks for the reviews

**Chapter 2: Of Predicaments and Proposals**

Taylor stared up at the stars from her room window as she brushed her hair, it had been a long night if not a queer oneand she was more than ready to call it a night and hopefully forget all about it. Across the room Jen sat propped up in bed adding the finishing touches to her latest creation.

"Hey Jen?"

"Hmmm"

"You ever think of moving out?"

"Huh?...Where did that come from?"

"I mean look at us, we're grown women perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves and we're still living with our parents. Don't tell me you don't see anything wrong with that picture?"

"That would depend on how you look at it" she replied setting down her work and joining her sister at the window

"You practically live on base and rarely at home so it's pointless getting an apartment. Besides you love this old house way too much to move into the city."

"I suppose but I wasn't really talking about me"

"Well then Rose spends most of her time traveling between universities although Cambridge did make her a very good offer when they asked her to come teach there,"

"Think she'll take it"

"Probably she's been complaining about the American lack of etiquette ever since she got home"

"I don't even want to know what that's about."

Jen smiled and looked out the window

"I still don't get why you brought this up though. Dinner wasn't that bad"

"It's not that…okay not completely about that" she added when Jen gave her a skeptical look

"And you're still avoiding the question. It may be logical for Rose and me to be still living here but I was really asking about you. I mean I get that you put it off so you could keep an eye on Marah and Kapri but they're both n college now and would've probably moved out themselves if they weren't petrified of work"

Jen sighed as she let her head rest on her arms, it was a question she had asked herself many times.

"I'm not sure, at first it was just about keeping an eye on the girls, and a lot of good that did" she scowled the sarcasm evident in her voice"

"Hey, at least we don't have two sisters running around with pink hair"

"True but I really wish I could have done more. They both barely made it through high school and the situation hasn't improved that much. But come to think of it Marah did…"

"You're straying away from the topic again"

"Uh…right…I guess staying at home also made it easier to pay back my student loans and after a while I never really thought about it"

"You know…"

They were interrupted when the door slammed open and a very excited Kapri burst into the room followed by an equally excited Marah. They were both jumping around with huge grins on their faces.

"What's up with you two?"

They ignored Taylor and ran straight to Jen each clasping one of her hands.

"You'll never guess…"

"What we just heard…"

"Been eavesdropping again have we"

Kapri stuck her tongue out at Taylor before turning back to Jen

"We were downstairs and we heard mum…"

"Who heard it from Mrs. Truman who…"

"Heard it from Mrs. Kruger…"

"That a Mr. Collins is moving…"

"In to town…"

"Why?" asked Taylor as Jen tried to get her hands free from the grasp of her sisters

"Something about setting up….something… you know business stuff" Marah replied in a nonchalant tone

"Anyway that's not the important part" Kapri continued

"Yea… his son…"

"Wesley is coming with him and he's single…"

"Not to mention rich…."

"And heart stoppingly handsome"

Jen smiled at the dreamy look that her sisters had in their eyes while Taylor rolled hers

"That's whats important?"

"Well duh…mom's trying to convince dad to drop in on him before hand so that he can introduce us to him at the Summer ball"

"Why?"

"C'mon Tay even you can't be that dense, what other reason could there be?"

"So that Wesley will fall for one of us and will want to get married"

Jen and Taylor shared a look and looked away almost instantly to keep from laughing.

"You girls do realize what century you're living in right?"

"Tch… just because you don't have a single inclination towards romance doesn't mean that we don't either. C'mon Marah lets go share are news with Rose at least she'll be more excited"

"I highly doubt that" said Taylor softly as she watched her sisters leave

"You never know, you might just fall for this Wesley Collins" said Jen trying not to laugh as she closed the door

"You're kidding right" she scowled as she got into bed

Jen laughed as she reached for the light

"You never know"

* * *

><p>Not the greatest of chapters but it'll do for now. the next should be lot better.<p>

I can't seem to think of anyone to cast as Wickham so if anyone has any ideas do let me know.

Thanks for reading and Please Review


	3. Boy Meets Girl

Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews.

I hope you like this chapter coz I, I have to say, it was definitely a lot of fun to write.

**Chapter 3: Boy Meets Girl**

The lawn behind the mayor's house was alive and humming with cheerful chatter and music as the citizens of Turtle Cove celebrated with their annual Summer Ball. The yard was decorated with millions of blue fairy lights giving the atmosphere a soft blue glow. Blue and silver balloons were strung along almost every surface accompanied by gossamer streamers. In the very center was a beautiful fountain which dripped quietly as happy couples danced around it.

The mayor (former) Commander Anubis Kruger stood proudly to one side surrounded by some of his closest friends. He was a tall man with a robust build with certain dog-like features that no one who knew him would dare point out. His current company included Mr. Earhardt and Colonel Truman. His wife Isinia was currently dancing with their eldest son Sirius.

Somewhere towards the back Mrs. Earhardt and Mrs. Truman sat with their friends chatting away to no end as youngsters moved around in twos and threes some simply walking about enjoying each others company others dancing the night away.

"Stop fidgeting" Jen hissed as Taylor adjusted her dress for what must have been at least the tenth time that night. She was wearing one of Jen's creations a simple pale yellow halter dress with a black satin sash belt and heels. Her hair was left loose to fall over her shoulders. Being a tomboy she was not very comfortable in dresses and was continuously albeit unconsciously fidgeting with her dress much to Jen's annoyance.

"Jen's right Tay, you look lovely" piped up Alyssa.

Taylor smiled at her friend and desisted choosing to dig her nails into the tablecloth instead as Jen and Katie laughed at her disposition.

Alyssa Enrile was a petite girl with dark brown hair and as Mrs. Earhardt often commented had very plain features. She was a quite sort of girl who rarely spoke out of place which made it a wonder that she and Taylor were friends but in fact they were the best of friends and had been ever since elementary school when Taylor stuck up for when she was being bullied. Jen thought of them as the perfect pair, in her opinion Taylor helped Alyssa be more confident and in turn Alyssa's influence helped Taylor keep her temper under control.

"Take a picture it'll last longer" Taylor barked at a couple of young men who were staring at the four girls a lot longer than she was comfortable with. Startled the two men walked away in a hurry but not before casting one last glance at their table.

"Taylor" Jen reprimanded as Alyssa and Katie did their best to keep their laughter in check.

"What? All that staring was starting to give me the creeps"

"Did you ever stop to consider that maybe one of them wanted to ask you to dance?"

"Or maybe they were debating over which one was going to ask you first. You should do the rest of us a favor and dance with one of these blokes then maybe the rest will stop staring at us as well."

"Taylor" Jen tried to sound stern but couldn't keep the blush from creeping on to her face

"Please every guy that's passed by has stopped to stare at you." Her tone was matter-of-fact and her rather bored expression proposed that this was an everyday occurrence.

Jen turned red as Alyssa nodded politely agreeing with her friend's statement.

"She's right you know" said Katie "You look amazing"

And she did in her baby pink toga style dress complemented with a gold belt and heeled sandals. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun and her light make-up was showing off her natural beauty. She could easily have been considered the most beautiful woman in attendance.

"And you'd probably have a lot more lining up if Taylor here wasn't scaring them away"

"It's not my fault that most of the guys here don't have a backbone"

"One of these days my dear sister someone will catch your eye and then you'll have to watch your tongue"

"She's right you know" Alyssa whispered as Jen and Katie walked off with their dance partners. Taylor's response was to give her friend a half smile before tuning her gaze back to the couples dancing. She could easily make out Kapri flirting away with her partner, her pink hair dancing as he spun her around. Not far away was Marah happily enjoying the attention she was receiving. As her eyes scanned the lawn she saw her mother tucked away in the corner with her friends and her thoughts went back to a few days ago.

The entire family was sitting down to breakfast. Mr. Earhardt was hidden behind the paper while Rose had her nose buried in a book. The other four girls exchanged amused smiles as their mother continuously made impatient noises in order to get their father's attention. She was officially not speaking to him since having failed to convince him to, as she put it, personally welcome Mr. Collins to Turtle Cove and made no attempt to conceal how cross she was with him.

"Look at this girls" said Mr. Earhardt smiling as he handed the paper to Taylor "It seems Mr. Collins has made the news"

"I don't want to hear about Mr. Collins. His business does not concern us" huffed Mrs. Earhardt much to the amusement of the rest of the family

"What does it say?" asked an excited Kapri

Taylor read through the article which much to the others disappointment was not accompanied by a picture.

"It says he's here to expand some kind of private security force called the Silver Guardians"

"What a bore" Kapri exclaimed before turning her attention back to her breakfast.

"I've heard about these guys" said Taylor as she re-read the article "But I thought they were based in Silver Hills"

"That's right" Mr. Earhardt commented as he took back the paper "Mr. Collins is…well you could call him a co-founder of sorts. He's responsible for setting up the guardians in his home town of Angel Grove. Because of the success of the guardians in both cities he along with the founder have decided to expand operations starting with Turtle Cove"

"Well I for one hope the mayor tells them to forget about it and go back to where they came from"

"That's a little harsh don't you think. They might be able to the city a lot of good"

"I must say I will have to side with Jen on this one dear. I've seen the results for myself and they're rather impressive. And I'm willing to bet that the mayor agrees as well"

"The only people the Silver Guardians help are those who can afford them and once criminals learn that they're going to target the people who can't and they're the ones who are going to suffer"

"I agree" exclaimed Mrs. Earhardt to everyone's surprise but none more than Taylor's "The Turtle Cove police are doing a fine job of keeping the city safe. The last thing we need is outsiders interfering in our business. I personally never wish to see this Mr. Collins or his son"

"That's a shame my dear, for he very much wishes to make your acquaintance"

"What?" exclaimed five voices at once.

"And just how would you know that?" asked Mrs. Earhardt her tone rising

"I met him the other day when I was visiting Kruger. A delightful fellow I might add and his son is quite a gentlemen"

His announcement was followed by three very excited squeals. And thus had begun the never ending inquisition of what the Collins's were like. Taylor for one couldn't care any less.

Taylor was wrenched out of her musings by Alyssa nudging her in the ribs

"What gives?"

It was then that she realized that the music had stopped and everyone was staring up at the stairs leading towards the lawn. Standing at the head of the stairs were six elegantly dressed people. In the center was an elderly man she presumed was Mr. Collins, and the handsome young man with the goofy grin on his face to his right, judging from the sand colored hair they shared was his son Wesley. On his left was a much taller man with dark hair and a rigid posture. As they descended the stairs she got a better look at the rest of their party, a young woman with curly blond hair, an older man with short spiky hair and a goatee, on his arm was a brunette whose expression much like the blond's clearly stated that neither wanted to be there.

It wasn't until the party had been greeted by the mayor and his family that everyone seemed to come to their senses and the party resumed. Taylor was highly amused and couldn't help but laugh out loud. When Alyssa accepted an offer to dance she chose to walk around on her own and couldn't help but be more amused at the attention he the new comers were receiving, she found it simply ridiculous.

"Isn't Wesley Collins simply charming"

"He's such a gentleman"

"Is that his sister, I love her dress"

"He's cute but his broody friend over there is simply gorgeous"

She glanced over at the party in question they were talking to the Trumans and seeing her own family not too far away and decided to join them. As she walked by Scott turned amidst his conversation with Mr. Collins turning everyone's attention to the Earhardts.

"Allan you must meet my dear friend…" Colonel Truman began but was interrupted

"Zedd, it's nice to see you again" he said as he extended his hand which Mr. Earhardt accepted

"And you"

"Allow me to introduce my son Wesley"

He gestured to the young man next to him

"Nice to meet you sir"

"My youngest daughter Leelee"

The blond haired girl curtsyed but didn't say a word

"My eldest daughter Kimberley and her husband Dr. Thomas Oliver"

The brunette followed her sister's lead while her husband accepted his hand

"And this is my nephew Eric Myers"

The broody young man shook Mr. Earhardts hand and after seeing him up close Taylor realized that he had strong, chiseled features and piercing eyes

"And let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife Rita"

Mrs. Earhardt eager to impress them imitated the sisters' response with a curtsy of her own but couldn't keep herself from saying something

"What a pleasure it is to meet you sir. Zedd has told me a little of your plans for our fair city and I must say I find them delightful"

"Thank you ma'am"

Taylor wanted nothing more than to roll her eyes at her mother but restrained herself.

"Our eldest daughter Jen"

"It's very nice to meet you sir"

Taylor smiled to herself when she noticed that Wesley was incapable from taking his eyes of Jen

"Taylor"

She smiled as politely as she could without betraying herself and nodded

"And that's Rose, Marah and Kapri"

Rose curtseyed while the other two exclaimed how happy they were to meet them.

"I was just telling Allan here what a shame it is that Scott here as to leave so soon but duty calls I suppose" Mrs. Truman cut in

"Mom" hissed Scott who had attended the party in his uniform as he was leaving for Corinth later that night

"Now Elle you must be very proud of your son, he is doing his country a great service"

"That may be so" Mrs. Earhardt ventured not to be out done by her friend "But there is always the pain of having one's child so far away and you never know when the circumstances might change"

"Oh…do you have a brother in the Air-Force as well?" Wesley addressed the sisters

Eric noticed how Katie and four of the sisters when rigid at his cousin's statement and almost expected someone to change the subject out of fear that something may explode but it was the blond girl, Taylor who broke the silence.

"If I may be so bold to ask, Wesley…"

"Please… it's just Wes"

"Alright Wes then, do you think it's wise in this day and age to presume that an officer need be a man"

"Surely you can't mean that you have a sister in the armed forces" said Kimberly "It is very un ladylike"

"Yes…yes it is." Said Mrs. Earhardt "That is what I have always told my girls

"What my sister meant to say" Jen quickly cut in before Mrs. Truman to say something to embarrass their mother or worse force Taylor to fly off the handle "Was that it's probably best not to make assumptions, putting aside what is lady like and what is not, female pilots are very much reality"

"And some of them are better than us guys" added Scott

Assuming it was a joke Leelee laughed and everyone laughed with her everyone except Taylor and Eric that is. She was silently fuming and he was watching her.

Both Jen and Mr. Earhardt thanked whatever higher power there was that Mr. and Mrs. Kruger had interrupted them and steered the parents away from their children forcing the party to drop the subject entirley. When it became apparent that neither Wes nor Eric was going to ask them to dance Marah and Kapri had scattered off to find dance partners while Dr. Oliver led his wife in a dance, Rose had long since wandered off on her own.

"So Wes how do you like it here in Turtle Cove?" asked Jen

He was so busy staring at her he didn't respond till Eric nudged him rather painfully

"Ow…uh…very much… it's a nice change from Angel Grove"

Taylor smiled to herself all the more and it was almost like the two of them had forgotten that there were others present. It wasn't long before he asked her to dance and she gladly accepted.

"What about you Eric? Do you dance?" she asked as she watched her sister who she had never seen so happy and Wes who simply couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Not if I can help it" he answered quickly

Taylor exchanges glances with Katie wondering if she was feeling just as awkward, to her surprise Scott stepped up and asked her to dance. Under normal circumstances she would have turned him down but at that moment all she saw was the perfect opportunity to escape rather awkward company.

As the party went on Taylor watched her older sister from where she sat with Alyssa, she seemed quite content in Wes's company and that delighted her. But it was with Wes's broody cousin that for some reason found herself intrigued he had danced once with Leelee and once with Kimberley and had refused to be introduced to any other young woman let alone consent to dance with any one of several that had worked up the nerve to ask him.

Wes seemed like a genuinely nice guy and he also seemed to like Jen who as far as Taylor could tell liked him as well. That was one of the main reasons she found herself staring at her reflection in the powder room. Jen hadn't smiled like that since she was with Alex and she didn't want to ruin things for her sister by picking a fight with Eric. She thought back to a little while ago when Wes and Eric passed by close to where she was sitting with Alyssa.

"C'mon Eric you must dance, I've never seen so many beautiful girls in one place before"

Eric raised an eyebrow at his cousin's comment

"You should watch what you say, you don't want your new friend to hear you now"

A dreamy look came into Wes's eyes as he continued

"She is the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. She's…she's amazing"

Taylor remembered sharing a smile with Alyssa at that moment, both happy for her sister

"But enough about that, I'm going to make you enjoy yourself even if it kills me. Why not ask one of Jen's sisters to dance. Taylor I'm sure you found agreeable at least, and I haven't seen her dancing for a while, I'm sure she'd say yes"

"I'm in no humor to give consequence to someone who has been slighted by other men. It would do you best to go back to your partner lest she choose to dance with someone else. You're wasting your time with me"

He patted his cousin on the shoulder and left before his words set in. He didn't have to worry the thought of Jen dancing with someone else sent Wes running off to find her, he no longer cared where Eric went and what he did.

Taylor sighed the things he said normally wouldn't have bothered her but at that moment she wanted to throw a punch at him. It wasn't personal she told herself not that it would have mattered but he was being an arrogant ass to almost everyone outside his party with the exception of the mayor's family. In the end she put it down as her patience already been stretched to breaking point from having to hold her tongue all night especially around the Collins sisters and was thankful that the night was almost over and that she at least would probably never have to speak to these people again. Taking a deep breath she got ready to leave when a commotion outside caught her attention. She slowly slipped out of the room and with her back against the wall she carefully peered around the corridor. A man dressed completely in black was running towards her with a painting tucked under one arm and a gun in his other.

"Stop" she heard someone call out and quickly assessed the situation as she watched as the man raised the gun and aiming blindly fired two shots behind him at someone who looked a lot like Eric. She made a split second decision and stuck her leg out as he passed by her tripping him, in another swift move she kicked the gun away and pried the painting away from him just as the mayor's security guards rushed in to apprehend him.

"What do think you're doing?" asked an angry Eric as he caught up with her.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? The way I see it you're lucky I was there"

"This isn't a game. Why don't you leave the crime fighting to the people who know what they're doing"

That was it. She stormed forward her expression fierce as she pushed the painting into his hands before staring him down.

"I just helped you. The least you could do is say thanks"

She glared at him and not being used to people standing up to him he glared back

"Taylor"

They both turned as Jen and Wes came running up to them

"Hrmf"

Taylor stormed off dragging her sister along with her while Eric and Wes stared after them

"What was that all about?"

"I knew it. That girl is nothing but trouble"

"So…just you're type huh?"

"You have got to be kidding me"

Eric shoved the painting at his cousin and stormed off leaving Wes all alone.

* * *

><p>So how was it?<p>

I mixed in stuff from the book and Joe Wright's film version which helped smoothen out some edges.

Using Rita and Zedd as Mr. and Mrs. Bennett may seem a little queer many of you but their characters will develop more in later chapter and as for their appearances I'm focusing on their human forms from the Space season although you may expect references to what they normally look like later on.

I'm still taking suggestions for the role of Wickham, so far Lucas and Jarrod have been nominated but I'm still working on that so if there are any more ideas out there let me know.

Hope you liked it.

Please Review and let me know what you think, especially if there's something you don't like.


	4. Comparing Notes

Thanks for the reviews ans sorry abut the wait I was busy with school stuff

**Chapter 4: **_**Comparing notes**_

Mrs. Earhardt was in high spirits when they returned home later that night. Her husband had hoped that having met the Collinses in person her views might have been disappointed; but he soon found that she had a very different story to tell.

"Oh my dear wasn't that a wonderful ball" she exclaimed as she fell back into an armchair "I haven't had such a wonderful evening in a very long time.

"It most certainly was" sang Kapri as she pranced around the parlor with Marah in tow "probably are best one yet"

"Seemed just like all the others to me" Mr. Earhardt murmured as he took a seat opposite his wife.

"Oh it was" Mrs. Earhardt continued oblivious to her husband "Everyone was admiring who beautiful Jen looked, and the mayor's wife complimented her dress and Elle couldn't believe she designed it herself"

Jen blushed as she stood in the doorway along with Taylor who simply rolled her eyes.

"And it was so nice to finally meet Mr. Collins and his family. His son Wesley was such a gentleman he danced almost all night and spent most of his time with our Jen" Mrs. Earhardt continued pausing only to cast an affectionate glance at her eldest. "He did dance with Alyssa, though he didn't pay her much attention; the same with Katie. He was even kind enough to ask our Taylor to dance…."

"To be honest I'd rather he sprained his ankle and not danced half as much" cried Mr. Earhardt impatiently

"Oh! My dear. I am quite delighted with him. He's so handsome and his sisters were absolutely charming. They're dresses were simply amazing I must remember to ask them who their designer is, although I'm quite sure Kimberly's was a…."

"Now, now dearest isn't this is a subject best left for when you have tea with the ladies"

"Oh very well I suppose. On the whole I find our guests lovely and we must have them over, well perhaps excluding that dreadful uh…Eric…what's his name?"

"Myers"

"Yes…yes him. I have never in my entire life met such a rude young man. He walked around like he was better than everyone else and wouldn't dance with anyone even though a number of pretty girls asked him. Angela even told me she overheard Wesley refer our Taylor to him and he actually had the nerve to slight her"

Taylor's expression remained stoic as all her sisters turned to look at her. Her mother however continued on

"But don't think too much of it dear" she addressed her daughter "You don't lose much by not suiting the fancy of such a horrid man. He is…."

Meanwhile back at their penthouse suite the Collinses along with Eric and Dr. Oliver were having a similar conversation. Mr. Collins had retired for the night but the rest mingled around for a while.

"Well that was a waste of time" scoffed Kimberly as she accepted a glass of wine from her husband.

"Tell me about it" complained Leelee "I can't believe we left Angel Grove for this place"

"It wasn't that bad" Wes reprimanded his sisters "I had a lot of fun tonight and except for that unfortunate incident with that art thief I think the ball went off really well"

"If you can even call it a ball that is"

"Come now we met so many lovely people tonight, they were all so kind and attentive and…."

"I'm amazed you noticed brother dear, from where I was standing you seemed far too wrapped up in a certain Jen Earhardt to notice much else"

"I…uh…."

"Relax bro compared to the rest she seemed more refined"

"And has a good fashion sense which is more than I can say about some of the others especially her sisters"

"Do you really think she's related to the one with the pink mop on her head?"

Wes sighed and let them continue as they pleased until they ran out of things to say and went to bed leaving him alone with Eric.

"So you have anything to say about why coming here was a mistake?"

"I don't think so; Turtle Cove is an ideal place for the expansion of the Silver Guardians"

"I wasn't talking about business"

"In that case I find it best to leave the evaluation of such things to your sisters but if you insist on dragging this subject further there was nothing worthy of comment and the fool hardy attempt at robbery was the highlight of your evening"

"Oh…"

Eric sighed knowing what Wes really wanted to hear but wouldn't quite ask

"She's a nice girl Wes, pretty face, smiles too much though but if you really like her as much as I think you do ask her out again just don't get carried away"

"Really" Wes's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

The two them were really close more like brothers and Wes trusted Eric's judgement over anyone else's' including his own and his approval meant a lot to him.

"So you're saying there wasn't anything you found interesting tonight?" asked Wes with a sly smile on his face.

Having got what he wanted from his cousin he turned to one of his favourite hobbies in Eric's interfering in Eric's personal life.

"No, not particularly"

"Not even a certain blond haired girl who…"

"Drop it" Eric snarled storming away leaving behind a chuckling Wes.

Back at the Earhardt estate the five girls were crowded in Taylor and Jen's room.

"Oh come on Jen spill" begged Kapri

"You can't hold out on us" complained Marah "we're your sisters"

"Oh yes Jen do tell" Said Taylor sarcastically

Jen spared her a look before turning to her more eager sisters she was about to turn them away but thought better of it, they would never let it go and she might as well get it over with.

"He…he is everything a guy should be" she began as a dreamy look crept onto her face "sensible, good-humored, lively and such a gentleman"

"Not to mention hot" Kapri supplied

"And rich" added Marah

"What more could a girl want?" Taylor smirked earning a glare from her older sister.

Rose merely shrugged her shoulders before excusing herself

"You really like this guy, don't you?" Taylor asked seriously after the rest had left

Jen sighed and sat at the foot of her bed

"I do, to be honest I was really surprised when he…."

"What spent most of the night with you. Why? No one else was that boy was smitten the moment he saw you"

"Taylor…"

"It's the truth just be careful okay"

"Weren't you the one telling me to stop being cautious and go out and have some fun"

"Look not everyone is as good and kind as you see them and you learned that the hard way but you still see the good in people and that's amazing but not everyone is like you. Wes I have to admit does seem genuine but his sisters on the other hand now that's a whole different story."

"What are you talking about; they're rather pleasant people, a little high strung perhaps…"

"A little"

Taylor listened as her sister continued to defend the two women but was not convinced as far as she was concerned they were nothing but snobs.

"So are you going to tell me about what happened with Eric or…?"

"Nothing happened"

"Then why did you look like you wanted to kill him?"

"Coz he's an arrogant ass who thinks no end of himself"

"Taylor…"

"Shouldn't you be dreaming about Wes or something?"

* * *

><p>Don't forget to Review and let me know what you think<p> 


	5. Meet and Greet

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews. I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had an accident a while ago and broke my arm in four places it's only recently that I finished my physiotherapy and have gotten back to full-fledged typing.

A big thank you to all those of you who are still reading this, I'm still having a little trouble with my hand so I can't promise quick updates but I promise to update as soon as I can and not leave you hanging like last time.

Sorry if it's not that great I'm a little out of practice.

For now here's chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **_**Meet and Greet**_

A few days later, much to her chagrin Taylor found herself following her father into the grey stone building that was the Silver Guardians' new headquarters. She wasn't sure about tagging along with her dad on Mr. Collins' tour of their new set-up but the alternative was hanging out at home with her mother and her 'tea party' friends as they picked through the details of the ball with a fine toothed comb. Her sisters too had ditched her…well not really, Jen had to go in to work and Kapri had asked her to tag along as she took the other two shopping.

She had declined her sister's offer but as they walked down the a cold grey hallway towards the reception desk she decided that she would much rather deal with her sister's rampant shopping habits than deal with Mr. Collins and his family again, the only grace being that her father had assured her that neither of his daughters would be present. They had yet to enter the main office and she could already tell that Mr. Collins had spared no expenses. Every surface was polished and subtly decked in their uniform colours of red, black and blue.

A perky middle-aged woman sat at the circular desk swiftly typing away at her computer. On the wall behind her was a large gold eagle with widespread wings and a black centering with the letters SG emblazoned in the centre which Taylor recognized as the Silver Guardians' emblem.

"Good Morning, I'm here to see…"

"Ahh… Zedd you're here" exclaimed Mayor Kruger interrupting her father as he walked up behind the two with his son Schyluer and Mr. Collins in tow

"I'm glad you decided to join us and Taylor dear what a nice surprise"

"I wouldn't miss this Commander" he replied falling back on old ways

"Good morning sir, Mr. Collins" Taylor replied respectfully "Hey Sky"

"Good morning Taylor, I must say I'm surprised to see you here though"

"Oh yeah, sorry I didn't mention it earlier but I thought she would like to see the kind of set-up you've got going here," Mr. Earhardt answered for her

"Oh I bet she will" said Sky with a smirk earning him a mock glare from his friend. Sky was the youngest of the Mayor's children and like his father was militant in demeanor. Taylor and he had grown up together and bonded over their love of flying, they remained close friends even after joining the air force which wasn't difficult as they were both stationed at the same base.

"Oh it's no problem it at all, I'm glad to hear that, my daughters have much to say on this subject and it is rarely ever good. Shall we?"

The four of them followed him around the office begging the tour with the pit and moving on to the private offices, interrogation rooms, the cafeteria and kitchen, the conference room and gym. It even had its very own holding cells, infirmary, on call rooms, autopsy and laboratory. Each room was pristine and decked in their colours with the eagle symbol proudly showcased.

"Wow Allan, you've really out done yourself with this place," Mr Earhardt commented

"It's all Eric's doing really, this entire project was initially his idea. I'm just lending my support and letting the boys do what they want."

"Even so, Its remarkable," Mayor Kruger added.

"Yeah, you're more equipped than most federal agencies, forget TCPD" said Sky

"Well son to do the best job we can we need the best equipment."

"How do you plan on recruiting?"

"Anybody can sign up and we have a series of tests that they too clear followed by training to make the cut. But the boys will be able to tell you more about it."

He led them to the garage where 10 sleek SUV's stood at the ready with jeeps and bikes parked neatly in rows with two emergency vehicles parked at the back

Sky let out a low whistle and looked over at Taylor, if she was impressed her face wasn't showing it

"Let's go meet the boys then shall we" said Mr. Collins as he led them to an outdoor training area where several young men clad in black uniforms were lined up. One sole figure stood in front of them distinguished by the red cord he wore across his chest and a red beret on his head.

"Zedd, I would like to introduce you to Commander Corbett"

The young man turned around to reveal a familiar chiseled face and dark eyes.

"Mike" Taylor and Sky and exclaimed silently while Mr. Earhardt shook his hand

"It's good to see you Mike"

"And you sir" he replied with a bright smile

"Oh…you know each other then?" Mr. Collins inquired

"Yes sir, I grew up in Turtle Cove"

"I see, well we'll leave you boys to get back to training then"

"Yes sir" he saluted and was quickly followed by the rest of the guardians who then marched back into the building.

Mr. Collins had led the mayor and Mr. Earhardt back inside as well, leaving the three of standing there.

"What are you guys staring at?" asked Mike with a cocky grin on his face.

Sky was the first to recover and with a broad grin clasped hands with the older boy in a one armed hug.

"C'mon Tay you're not still mad at me are you?" he asked as Sky stepped back

She didn't reply and much to both boys' surprise she threw her arms around him in a hug. Recovering from the shock Mike's face broke out into a wide grin as he returned the hug before lifting her up and spinning around.

"Commander you're needed inside"

The two of them broke apart as they registered the deep voice. They turned two face two young men one with a sloppy grin on his face and the other with a less than happy scowl.

"Yes sir" Mike saluted before leaning down to give Taylor a small peck on the cheek.

"We'll catch up later" he whispered and hurried inside.

"Eric, Wes" Sky greeted the newcomers "I thought you guys weren't coming. I can't believe you left me alone with our dads this morning, lucky for me Tay decided to come to my rescue." He laughed as he threw his arm around her shoulders when she stepped up next to him.

"Hey Sky, Ms. Earhardt. Sorry about that Sky we had something to take care of" said Wes apologetically

"Just Taylor will do thanks"

"Taylor it is then" he teased while Eric stood next to him looking as grim as ever.

"I'm sorry we're just surprised, we didn't expect to see you here, are your sisters joining us as well"

Taylor couldn't help but smirk at the hopeful glint in his eyes.

"No, Jen had to work and the others wouldn't be interested in something like this and neither would Jen frankly."

"Oh"

"She doesn't really know a lot about the technical aspect of something like this so there's not much to be interested in" she added when she saw the disappointed look on his face.

As she had hoped he perked up immediately and nodded his head.

"And you do?" Eric asked dryly

"I do" she shot back and strode past them with Sky in tow leaving the other two slightly bewildered.

Not long after she stood at the back of Mr. Collins' office staring out the large window as the three older gentlemen looked over some of the future plans for the guardians. Her interest had peaked when they began talking about air support and their new designs for assist copters but she sank back in defiance after seeing the smug look on Eric's face.

She was jostled out of her thoughts when Sky forced a file into her hands

"Let's see what the Lieutenant has to say"

"Huh?" she looked up at the questioning glances or Eric, Wes and Mr. Collins while the mayor nodded and her father shrugged

"Yes dear" Kruger insisted "Allan and I can't agree on the effectiveness of his new designs. Perhaps a professional pilot's opinion will lay this to rest."

"Pilot?"

"Yeah Tay's the best there is when it comes to fighter pilots" Sky added.

* * *

><p>I hope you like it, I should have the next one done in a couple of days. Please review and let me know what you think.<p>

I'm still looking for someone to cast as Wickham, so if you have any suggestions do let me know. Thanks.

Until next time….


	6. Eyes

Heyy, thanks for all the reviews.

I do hope you enjoy this chapter….

**Chapter 6: **_**Eyes**_

Taylor sipped on her drink slowly as she gazed out of the Trumans' window. Her family had been invited to dinner along with the Collinses, Eric, the Krugers and to her surprise Alyssa and her dad. The day had not gone as she had planned, Sky's revelation of her being in the Air Force caused a bit of a stir earlier that morning. Mr. Collins had seemed impressed while Wes flabbergasted, immediately remembered their conversation at the ball and began to apologize and continued to do so every time he saw her after that. Eric remained as stoic as ever, the mayor a little confused as to why the news was such a surprise while her father and Sky shared a silent laugh. So far no mention of the morning's events had been made to either her mother or Wes' sisters for which she was grateful, while she couldn't care any less about what the Stepford sisters thought but she didn't think she could take her mom going off on another rant about her choice of career not to mention the chaos it cause as she tried to impress the two snobs and one-up Mrs. Truman at the same time.

"You're awfully quiet"

She looked as Alyssa took a seat next to her and gazed at her with worry evident in her eyes.

"Let's just say I'm waiting for the ball to drop"

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

The two shared a laugh before looking around the room. Their dads sat in a corner sharing drinks with Mr. Collins, Mr. Truman and the Mayor while the Mrs. Truman, Mrs. Kruger and Taylor's mom sat around a table indulging in polite conversation. Eric, Wes, Sirius and Sky were engaged in a serious discussion while Dr. Oliver stood to aside twirling his drink without a care. Jen had been abducted by Leelee and Kimberly and the three of them chattered away happily while Katie sat with them silently playing with her glass.

"They seem quite taken with Jen"

"Huh… what?"

"I said Kimberly and Leelee seem quite taken with Jen," Alyssa repeated

"Does it matter?"

"It does if Jen really likes Wes as much as we think she does?"

"She's got it bad, that's for sure but considering that she was all he would talk about this afternoon and has been trying to catch her eye all evening I think it's safe to assume that the feeling is mutual."

"So do you think she's going to tell him?"

Taylor turned to her friend with a raised eyebrow, "Since when did you turn into such a gossip?"

"I'm just curious. Jen hasn't actually dated a lot since Alex and…"

"Don't even go there. She'll tell him as much as she's comfortable with. But frankly I don't think she'd tell him outright, she'll probably wait for him to make the first move before admitting anything."

"And you think Wes is the type to do that, without being sure of her affections?"

"Lyss, what are you trying to get at. Jen isn't the type to play games, you know that. She's not the type to be all over a guy just because she likes him. She's more cautious than that especially after Alex. She'll go as far as she's comfortable with."

"But Wes doesn't know anything about Alex and what Jen is really like, if she does like him she should do something about it, there's no telling how long he's going to be here."

"You really have to stop listening to my mother and Mrs. T. Jen's not out to bag a rich guy. I think she genuinely likes him and it scares her. Besides if my mother has her way they will be spending a lot of time together while he's here. If she wants something more with him by then it's up to her, she has to decide for herself if she's ready or not and if he can't see that she likes him, he must be a real idiot and definitely not worth her time."

"And if they hit it off?"

"I'll be happy for her"

"But…?"

"But if he hurts her, he's going to be in for a world of pain"

"I thought as much"

While Alyssa and Taylor engaged in a discussion about Jen's love life Taylor failed to notice that she in turn had become the target of someone's interest. Across the hall Eric sat with Wes, the Kruger boys and Tommy and while the subject of discussion was fairly interesting he found his attention drawn to the blond woman sitting by the window. When they first met he had looked at her as another dumb blonde ready to latch on to the nearest deep pocket. But instead she had defied him because of his money. This had definitely caught his interest. He could not say she was the prettiest girl in the room but she had a subtle beauty that was uniquely her. She had stood up to him with a fire blazing in her blue eyes, she did not scuttle and back down in defiance when confronted just to please but stood her ground. He had regarded her as reckless when she got involved with the robbery but the revelation that she had probably faced much worse changed that. He still believed her reckless but perhaps not without cause. But what impressed him most was that she was proud of who she was despite of what other's thought. He was in two minds, he found himself wanting to get to know her but at the same time he was weary of the anger he had felt when seeing her hugging Mike Corbett.

Dinner that evening was a talkative affair as almost everyone at the table was excited about the events that would soon take place in otherwise quiet little Turtle Cove. It wasn't until they were leaving that Taylor found herself in a sticky situation.

"Taylor dear," she turned away from the door when she heard the mayor call out to her,

"Eric was just telling me that he was driving out to take a look at some of the prototypes for their new copters tomorrow. Why don't you tag along? I'm sure your opinion would be helpful"

After seeing the designs earlier in the day she had to admit she was excited about seeing them first hand but she looked directly at Eric and answered, "Thank you for the offer but I'm afraid I have to decline I have other plans. Thank you and goodnight."

While the mayor seemed satisfied with her answer Sky leaned into to whisper to Eric, "What did you do? She would never pass off on something like this."

Eric thought her curt refusal to join them would agitate him but for some reason he found her even more endearing. He just couldn't stop thinking about her, something Leelee who sat beside him in the car, while Wes dosed off in the back seat, was quick to notice.

"Pray tell me what has you so up in the clouds, I don't think I've ever see that expression on your face"

"It's really none of your business" he replied curtly

She pouted but was not deterred "Let me guess, you're thinking about how silly these townspeople are and wondering how on earth we got ourselves mixed up in this."

"Far from it actually"

"Hmmm then perhaps a charming young woman has captured the thoughts of the ever stoic Eric Myers?"

"Or something"

Leelee sat up and stared at him, she had just been fooling around expecting to reply with a negative but while he didn't provide her with a definite answer this was news indeed.

"Are you going to tell me who or wait until I badger it out of you"

Eric sighed and relented knowing that he would have to rely on something drastic if she were allowed to go on pestering him about the subject.

"Taylor Earhardt"

"Taylor Earhardt, "Leelee scoffed "You have probably named the least charming person I have met in this place, not counting her mother of course, Since when has she been such a favourite? I hope you aren't planning a shotgun wedding…"

"I wouldn't jump so far ahead if you please, I merely find her interesting for reasons that can hardly be considered romantic."

"Well that's good to hear, I should hate to have you burdened with that kind of family to marry into."

Her words fell on deaf ears as Leelee rattled on, his mind settling on far less annoying thoughts like a pair of spirited blue eyes.

* * *

><p>Probably not my best work but I'll come back to it if I think of something interesting later.<p>

I'm still looking for someone to cast as Wickham so let me know if you have any preferences.

I'll try and update as soon as possible till then please review.


	7. Vulnerable Other

Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews and for your help picking someone to play Wickham in this story.

If you have any other requests for the remaining characters do let me know.

Thanks again, for now here's the next chapter….

**Chapter 7: **_**Vulnerable Other **_

"…And young Mr. Collins is simply charming," Mrs Earhardt informed her sister Toxica over the phone. "He seems to be really smitten with our Jen."

Taylor rolled her eyes and left the room immediately. Her aunt Toxica lived in Blue Bay Harbour which was just the next town over and within walking distance from Turtle Cove. Her aunt was very much like her mother both in the way they behaved and thought which was why she favoured her uncle, her mother's brother who lived in Harwood County with his wife and children. Toxica and her husband didn't have children of their own and hence doted on Marah and Kapri who had always been frequent visitors.

At the moment the two sisters were hastily swapping information like a couple of school girls. While the Silver Guardians were making headlines in Turtle Cove the RXD Motorcross Exposition was creating a buzz in Blue Bay Harbour. Every year aspiring riders from across the state came to compete in hopes of getting scouted while fans thronged to catch a glimpse of their home town favourites who had already made it big in the world of Motorcross. Marah and Kapri found this piece of information particularly exciting and their trips to Blue Bay Harbour became all the more frequent especially since their uncle owned the race track. And they always came back with stories about all the guys they met. Marah's latest catch was a guy called Dustin Brooks who she insisted was the best she had seen at FMX although both Taylor and their father doubted she even knew what FMX was.

"It never fails to amaze me how silly my daughters can be sometimes," Mr Earhardt mumbled one evening as he sat in the living room with his family.

"What are you talking about?" Mrs Earhardt reprimanded "they're young girls it is only natural for them to be interested in boys"

"In that case I should be grateful that it's just the two of them and not the whole lot that's going boy crazy"

Mrs Earhardt's reply was cut off by the shrill of Jen's phone

"Kapri how many times do I have to tell you not to change my ringtone" Jen scolded as she hurried to answer her phone. She stared at her caller Id for a moment before clearing her throat and unconsciously straightening her posture.

"Hello…"

"Yes…Hi Kimberely it's nice to hear from you"

Both Mrs Earhardt and Taylor whipped their heads around when they heard her say Kimberely's name, however while her mother did nothing to hide her excitement Taylor couldn't help but raise an eyebrow skeptically.

"Oh...well I'm sure I could push some things around… yes I'd love to go with you…of course not at all… I'll see you tomorrow then…yes bye…"

"What was that all about?" Taylor asked nonchalantly as she turned back to the book she was reading.

"That was Kimberely Oliver" Jen replied with a stunned look on her face

"Yes dear, we heard that much, what did she want?" Mrs Earhardt asked eagerly

"Well they're all going to Blue Bay Harbour tomorrow and she asked if I would go shopping with Leelee and her as the boys plan on checking out the track."

"Oh wow" Kapri exclaimed "that's so exciting"

"Indeed it is darling, you must go, definitely"

Taken aback by her mother's excitement Jen only nodded.

"Splendid! If only the gentlemen weren't going to be at the race track all day. But let's see if we can do something about that" With speed Taylor never believed her mother capable off she dashed into the other room most likely to scheme with her sister Toxica.

"Dad…" Taylor warned

"I'm afraid I can do no more to stop her than you my dear" he replied with a sigh

Jen watched her mother leave the room in haste before walking over to her sister and resting on the sidearm of the chair she was curled up in.

"So you want to come with?"

"And spend an entire day with the Stepford twins, no thanks, I have better things to do with my Saturday."

"I'll come with you Jen, we'll have an amazing time, I know all the best stores," Kapri piped up

"That's nice dear but unfortunately the two of you promised your uncle you would help out at the track tomorrow," Mr Earhardt inferred much to Taylor and Jen's relief.

"Yeah we did" she said disappointedly

"Just think about all the cute guys that are going to be there," Taylor smirked

Both girls looked up instantly

"Let's go Marah, we need to find something to wear," Kapri yelled as raced up the stairs pulling Marah along behind her.

"I'll go make sure they don't overdo it," said Jen rolling her eyes at Taylor as she followed the duo.

"Just for that you're going too, to keep an eye on your sisters," said Mr Earhardt as made his exit as well

"But dad…."she argued but he was long gone.

* * *

><p>The next day Taylor was not a happy camper, it had rained the night before and most of the track had been washed out. Her uncle's team was already hard at work, preparing the track for the competition that would start the next day but they had their work cut out for them. While the track would be ready for sure, the surrounding area was covered in mud and slush. Her sneakers were already covered in mud as were the bottom of her pants but that was not the problem, the problem was the two girls standing next to her.<p>

Marah and Kapri had picked out outfits that they thought would impress the boys most inclusive of mini-skirts and high heels. The moment they had reached the track the two girls began to whine and squeal about the mud and grime and refused to step out of the pavilion even though they were supposed to be at the registration booth. Taylor had stepped in to help to avoid embarrassing their uncle but the duo had decided to follow her once they saw the guys lining up. And to her dismay when they weren't flirting with the guys they were complaining about how 'icky' everything was and she could just feel the migraine coming.

"Do you think you two could hold the fort while I go get a drink?" she asked as she got up to leave not really waiting for an answer.

"Sure, bring us back something," Kapri answered cheerfully as she turned to flirt with yet another guy.

Rolling her eyes Taylor made her way back to the pavilion. It was almost noon and as she took a good look around she had to admit her uncle's team had done a good job of cleaning up the place. Still keeping an eye on the track she reached for one the water bottles on the table only to have someone beat her to it.

"Oh… sorry my bad" she said as she let go of the stranger's hand and reached for another bottle.

"Don't worry about it."

Stepping back she took a better look at him. He was taller than he, had short blonde hair and was dressed in a simple red T-shirt with shorts that were sprayed with mud but weren't as messy as the work gloves that hung from his belt.

"Do you work here?" she blurted out.

"Not exactly, I used to ride around here and I volunteer over the weekends. I figured they could use all the help they could get after that freak storm last night, so here I am."

"That's nice of you…"

"And you are?"

"Taylor Earhardt, my uncle owns the place so I guess you can say I'm helping out as well"

"Oh cool, I'm Hunter Bradley. Are you into motorcross?"

"I used to come out here to ride when I was in high school but lately my vehicle of choice is a little more airborne."

"Fair enough, I'm really not one to judge seeing as I pretty much gave it up"

"How come?"

"It's silly really, when we were kids the only thing my brother and I dreamed of was being pro riders…"

"But… ?"

"Then I signed up for a big brother program and realized I could do more good as a teacher."

"A teacher huh? I would have never pegged you for the type"

"And I would have never pegged you for a… what is it you do again?"

"I'm a pilot" she smirked

"Oh wow I can totally see that"

"And you've known me for less than five minutes"

"True but normal girls don't trudge through sludge like you like you did or not care if their clothes are dirty."

"That is wrong on so many levels but I'm just going to take that as a compliment for now"

"Oh it was" he said smiling as he raised his bottle before taking a sip

She laughed and shook her head looking away to check up on her sisters.

"So what about your brother?" she asked once satisfied that Marah and Kapri would survive a little longer without her.

"Oh Blake… he did it. Got picked up by Factory Blue and is riding up a storm. In fact he's riding in the exhibition later this week, you should come see it"

"Blake Bradley is your brother?"

"Yeah you gotta love the family resemblance" he replied in a bitter tone

"Hey its cool, family is family I was just surprised"

"No its my bad, most people tend to…."

"It's fine you don't need to go there"

"Thanks. Hey would you like to meet him and some of the other guys. They're getting ready for a trial run later on."

"Actually I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on my sisters but yeah why not"

"Come on"

"Looks like Taylor made a friend," said Kapri nonchalantly as she watched her sister talk to the cute blonde. The two girls had been relieved of their duty for the day and scampered to the pavilion to get away from the sun and the mud.

"What was that about Taylor?"

Both girls turned around to see Jen walking towards them accompanied by Leelee, Kimberly, Wes and Eric.

"Oh hey guys what are you doing here?" asked Marah

"We ran into the boys at lunch and were convinced to look in on this….event." Leelee replied, her tone clearly stating she would rather be anywhere else.

"It's not much of an event right now," said Kapri

"But it will be by tomorrow"

The group was joined by an elderly blonde man with a wide grin on his face and a rather eccentric style of dressing.

"Mr Collins, Mr Myers I'm so glad you could make it today. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Duke Jindrax the owner. I'm sorry about the mess, the rain pushed our schedule back a little but we'll be ready for a test run in a little while if you would like to stay…"

"Sure we'd love to." Wes cut him off "If we're not imposing"

"Of course not, but if you'll excuse me I have some details to sort out before the big event"

He ran off leaving behind a very excited Wes and his very unimpressed sisters

"Do we have to stay for this, it's not even the real competition," Leelee complained

"I'm staying, I think it's going to be very exciting, don't you think Jen?...Jen?"

"Oh sorry…I was looking out for Taylor"

"She's over there," Kapri pointed out "being social for once"

"I must say, you're sister has strange taste in men," Leelee commented as the group followed Kapri's line of sight before turning to Eric with a smirk on her face. Marah and Karpri stole the moment as they burst into laughter.

"Girls" Jen scolded as her cheek turned pink

"Sorry, it's just that knowing Tay, she's probably more interested in the bikes that the guys," Marah explained before the two of the skipped away.

"Uh…well…uh" Jen mumbled awkwardly, she was far too embarrassed to say anything.

"Shall we head on down then," Eric interrupted stalking past the others without waiting for a reply

"We'll wait here" said Kimberely

"If that's what you want." Said Wes "Come on Jen" he took her hand and pulled her along. It wasn't until they reached the railing that he realized what he had done and let go of her hand, and the two of them turning away from the other blushing furiously.

Not long after the trial runs had begun and so far the track seemed to be holding up. All dignity forgotten, Wes was eagerly cheering the riders while Eric stood back and watched silently. After the first two laps Jen had wandered off hoping to catch sight of Taylor.

She walked along the railing not really paying attention to what was going on around her. It had been a long time ago since she had been to the track, the last time being with Alex and being here now brought back things she didn't ever want to think off again.

"Jen look out"

She whipped around to see a bike with yellow markings swerve off the track and head straight towards her and froze. Wes and Eric both turned around when they heard a voice shout out to Jen but were too late to react. For Jen it was like everything was happening in slow motion, the bike slowly edging towards her as Eric and Wes slowly turned their attention away from the riders. But just when she thought she was going to be hit she felt something grab her around the waist and a force push her to the ground. She felt her body stiffen as a searing pain shot up her right leg and her vision became blurry.

"Jen…Jen…Jen"

* * *

><p>"Jen can you hear me?"<p>

Through heavy eyes Jen caught a glimpse of a blonde haired woman waving a light in front of her

"Taylor?" she asked hoarsely

But as her vision cleared she realized it wasn't her sister. Hovering over her was a petite woman with short blonde hair dressed in a pink shirt over a white coat.

"No Jen, It's me Dana and I'm glad to see your awake, Tay and the others have been very worried."

Jen looked up at the pale blue ceiling before sitting up and taking in the entire room. She was lying in a large bed covered in pink, silk linen. The rest of the room was also done up with expensive furnishings leading her to believe that she wasn't in the hospital.

"Where am I?"

"You're at our beach house," Kimberly answered as she walked into the room followed by Leelee, Eric and a worried Taylor and Wes. The two sisters immediately rushed to her bedside as Taylor slowly walked up to the bed breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that her sister was awake.

"How are you feeling Jen?" asked Leelee

"Alright I guess," she replied before wincing and reaching out to grasp her light leg which was heavily bandaged.

"Careful now, you're leg is badly torn up," the doctor took over forcing Leelee to move away. "But it's not too serious, it should be fine with a couple days' rest," she reassured Jen.

Jen heaved a sigh of relief and turned to her sister who had quiet so far.

"I suppose I have you to thank for this,"

Taylor shrugged, "Only if you'd rather not be road kill."

The two of them shared a smile much to the amazement of the rest of their company. Jen reached out her hand and Taylor stepped forward to grasp it, taking the doctor's place on the bed.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, other than the leg of course," Jen laughed "Sorry I just can't get over this, when did we switch places?"

"You two really are a riot, you know that," said Dana in a stern voice but unable to hide her smile.

"Thanks for coming out here Day," said Taylor apologetically

"Don't mention it, after all it isn't very often that you're the one calling…"

"Very funny" Taylor mumbled as Dana and Jen shared a laugh

"I take it you three know each other," Leelee interrupted disapprovingly

"Yes," Jen replied kindly. "Dana and I went to school together"

"Oh… I see is that why you insisted on calling her?" Kimberely asked Taylor

"Not really, when it comes to injuries Dana's the best there is"

"You would know," Dana teased forcing Taylor look away in embarrassment

"Dr. Grayson, is Jen going to be alright?" Wes voiced his concern

"She might have a mild concussion from the fall so no naps for the next ten hours at least," she told Jen pointedly before turning back to Wes. "I've also prescribed some painkillers for her leg but most importantly she needs rest. I would recommend that she doesn't move her leg at all for the next few hours at least."

"Don't worry she'll be well taken care of," Wes assured

"Thank you Wes but you've already done so much, we'll just call dad to come get us and we'll be out of your way," said Jen while Taylor nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely not!," Kimberely exclaimed "You came to town with us and we're going to make sure you're good as new"

"Yes you're staying right here with us," Leelee added "I'm sure the doctor would agree"

"That would be best Jen at least until we're sure you don't have a concussion."

"But…"

"No buts" said Leelee "It's the doctor's orders."

"Would you be more comfortable if Taylor stayed as well," Kimberely offered

Taylor looked up at her and then at her sister, although she tried to hide it she was in a great deal of pain, moving her now would only make it worse. Jen looked at her confused and at a loss for words. Squeezing her sister's hand she reluctantly nodded.

"That settles it then," said Wes excitedly as he took the prescription from Dana and left to make all the necessary arrangements.

"I'll be going as well," said Dana courteously "If you need anything call"

"Thank you Dana," said Jen weakly

Dana smiled and grasped her friends hand as she picked up her bag and left followed by Taylor and Leelee.

Leelee stood in the living room with Eric as Taylor waved Dana off and then excused herself to call her parents. The duo were soon joined by Wes who had temporarily left Jen in Kimberley's care.

"You know I can't say I've ever met someone as rambunctious as that one," Leelee commented as she watched Taylor through the window "Just look at her she's covered in sludge."

"She saved her sister's life," Wes stated "I think it was very brave and admirable thing to do, don't you think so Eric?"

"Yes Eric what do you think of Miss Earhardt's display?"

Eric stared at the blonde haired girl pacing outside the window as she spoke to her mother most probably. Her hair was matted down and clung to her face while her jacket and pants were sprayed with mud. He had recognized her voice calling out to her sister but had barely any time to react as a blonde blur raced passed him. He only realized what had happened when he saw her pull her sister out of the way sending both of them crashing to the ground just as the rogue bike crashed through the railing and into the bales of hay that had been lined up along the edges. Despite the concern for her sister marring her features her face held a certain radiance to it. She had proved her recklessness once again by acting on her own without concern for her safety and her apprehension over her sister's well being was unhindered by her own injury which he was quick to notice. Though he hadn't known her for long she had always put up a strong front but for the first time he had caught a glimpse of her vulnerable side and for some reason she intrigued him all the more. If he found it hard to get her out of his head before she was now slowly becoming a permanent fixture in his thoughts.

* * *

><p>That's it for now, sorry if the dialogue is a little awkward in some places.<p>

I hope you liked it, do review and let me know what you think.


	8. A Day with the Stepfords

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all the reviews.

Sorry it's been so long since my last update but I've been having problems with my net connection.

For now here's the next chapter

**Chapter 5: **_**A Day with the Stepfords**_

The next evening Taylor found herself staring out at the sea from the Collin's porch. The cool breeze sent chills down her spine but she didn't care she just had to get away from the other occupants in the house. Her conversation with her parents the previous day had not gone as planned and she was still recovering from the headache her mom had given her.

As she expected and secretly hoped her father had insisted that he immediately drive down to fetch them but desisted when assured that Jen was alright and that moving her at that moment would only make her injury worse. Her mother on the other hand was excited beyond belief. After being told that Jen was in no way near death she insisted they stay as long as she needed to recover and that she would be sending along some of their things.

Taylor had repeatedly told her not to go overboard as they weren't on vacation. But yet Sam their father's aid on the estate turned up not only with bags for the two of them but an array of baked goodies as well for their hosts. But the icing on the cake was when she opened Jen's bag to find her best clothes neatly packed together. She was thankful that Jen was not in a position to complain and that her mother had not leant the same courtesy to her.

Jen however was not doing so good. She had been cleared for a concussion but had soon developed a fever that refused to go down. She had called Dana who had arrived with her supervising physician Dr. Manx. They had prescribed some medication for Jen and she was finally sleeping peacefully. The concern both Leelee and Kimberly showed for Jen took Taylor by surprise but it didn't change her opinion of them. If anything she thought worse of them especially after the conversation she had overheard earlier that morning.

She had skipped dinner the night before and hence needed little persuasion from Wes to join the rest of them for breakfast. It was a nosy affair as Leelee and Kimberly talked about the latest London fashions. Wes inquired after Jen but was soon engrossed in conversation with Tommy Oliver, Kimberly's husband. He had dropped in that morning and insisted on giving them a lecture on dinosaurs, barley touching his food in the process. Wes listened with rapt attention while Eric and she tried to desperately to disengage themselves. After breakfast she quickly excused herself to return to Jen but stopped short when she heard her name being called. She turned back but stopped once more when she realized that it was Kimberly who had taken her name, not to call out to her but rather to talk about her. Her curiosity got the better of her and even though she knew better that to eavesdrop she found herself standing by the door straining her ears to catch every word.

"That Taylor really is something isn't she," Kimberly commented "I don't think I've ever met someone with poorer conversation skills."

"And let's not forget her dress sense, she seems to forget she's not a teenager anymore," Leelee added

"If I had to describe her in one word it would be wild," Kimberly stated "especially after that little display yesterday, running through the mud like that," she shook her head disapprovingly.

"You mean when she saved her sister's life," Wes interrupted them

"Precisely, it was absolutely reckless of her to put her life on the line like that they could have both been killed for her foolishness," Leelee exclaimed. "Don't you think so Eric, I'm sure you wouldn't want dear Maddie doing something like that?"

"I would hope that the need would not arise," Eric answered curtly unsure if he approved of the direction this conversation was taking.

"Like I said yesterday, I think it was very brave of her and admirable too" Wes defiantly added.

"I really do like Jen," Kimberly continued as if her brother hadn't spoken "she has exquisite taste and class but I'm afraid a family like that will only stand in her way. Just look at her uncle for instance, if she hadn't pointed it out I would have never guessed that they were related."

"He looked more like a circus clown than the owner of a race track," Leelee laughed

"I really don't see what, who her family is has to do with anything?"

"My dear little brother, you are so naïve sometimes," said Kimberly patronizingly

Taylor had had enough and with clenched fists she quickly made her way to her sister's room. Jen was asleep so leaving her in the care of the Collins' butler Phillips she decided to take a walk along the beach to clear her head.

When she got back she slumped into a chair next to her sister bed and rolled up the leg of her tracks revealing a fresh scar along her ankle, a souvenir from the day before. Her injury was nowhere as bad as her sister's but the adrenaline high she was on was wearing off and the pain was starting to get to her.

Not long after Jen stirred and she quickly rolled down her tracks to hide her injury. Jen was still weak but her fever had gone down considerably. The two sisters were engrossed in conversation when Wes and Eric looked in to check on Jen.

"Hi," Jen said weakly before once again thanking him for his hospitality

Wes smiled brightly reply that it was no trouble and all "You seem to be in better spirits" he added as Eric and he occupied chairs near her bed.

"It helps to have a sister like Taylor around, she gets me all riled up even I don't have the energy for it"

They continued talking for the better part of the morning and into the afternoon. Taylor had never had anything against Wes but seeing him with Jen without his sisters hovering around put her at ease. If Jen decided to go for it she would support her. Eric didn't say much but he too seemed more at ease. They left when Phillips announced lunch while Taylor stayed with Jen.

She shook her head as she remembered that conversation, if she had suspicions about Jen and Wes before was now thoroughly convinced that the two were steadily falling for each other. Even Eric surprised her a little and she began to doubt her previous notions about him. However is there was one thing she was dead right about or rather two they were Wes' sisters and the evening she had spent with them on the beach confirmed it.

It was an extremely pleasant evening and Wes had convinced Taylor join him and the rest of his party on the beach. She was quick to decline but Jen had insisted that she had been inside for too long and that she needed a break from a grumpy Taylor.

That was how she how she had somehow found herself in the middle of a conversation about Turtle Cove's nightlife.

"I wouldn't know much about it, I've never been much of a party person you'd have to ask Jen or Kapri about that"

"Yes Jen did mention that you preferred reading on a Saturday night to more social escapades," Leelee sneered

"Guilty as charged"

"Wow, I've always wondered how people could read for hours at a time," said Wes "Me, I'd rather wait for the movie to come out."

"That's why you always lose the thread of what's happening halfway through" Eric teased

"Very funny," Wes retorted "Not all of us can just swallow up a book or spend hours in that massive library you have back home."

"Yet you've often claimed that you'd like to build a similar one in your own home, whenever you get around to doing it that is" Kimberely stated.

"True" Wes sighed "But I've resigned to the fact that buying it would be easier" he turned to Eric with a mock leading look which was returned with a glare that clearly stated 'Fat Chance'.

"By the way Eric, how is little Madison doing? It's been a long time since I've seen the little angel." Kimberely asked as she sipped her drink

"She's fine" he replied shortly

"Madison is Eric's little sister" Leelee explained to Taylor

"Not so little as she's constantly reminding him" Wes murmured

"She's quite the darling," Leelee continued paying no heed to her brother "and very intelligent too"

"Yes, I've only seen a few girls her age as serious about academics. Quite a relief in my opinion, teenagers today have this annoying tendency to run amuck and think they're invincible." Dr. Oliver piped in.

Taylor watched him skeptically wondering if the thirty something doctor often spoke like an irritated seventy year old.

"As much as I love books I quite enjoyed 'running amuck' as a teenager, it made life interesting" she said plainly before excusing herself to check on Jen.

The sound of the distant waves crashing against the shore brought her back to the present. Leaning forward against the railing she hoped and prayed that Jen got better soon, if she had to spend any more time with these people especially the Stepford sisters she was going to snap.

"You should learn to take better care of yourself"

Startled by the familiar voice she whipped around and winced in pain having put too much pressure on her injured leg. Before she realized what was happening a strong arm wrapped around her waist and helped her into a chair.

"Eric…?" she asked as she stared into his dark eyes that reflected her confused expression. He looked away at her leg and following his gaze she realized that she had once again rolled up the leg of her pants to allow the injury to breathe.

"I…uh…"

"If you're going to do something as reckless as putting your neck on the line for someone else" he scolded as he put down the box he had with him and pulled out a bandage. "You should take care of yourself after." He checked the wound to see if it had been sufficiently cleaned, when satisfied he carefully wrapped it up.

"Uh…"

"Your sister would be worried if she realized you had hurt yourself" he said as he once again faced her

"Actually she'd freak out if she found out where I hurt myself," she muttered under her breath

"Sorry…"

"Oh…uh…nothing…Thanks you didn't have to do that"

"I know"

The two of them continued to stare at each other. One seated with her leg propped up on a stool and the other crouched down beside her, the only sound that could be heard was that of the waves.

"I…uh…" she murmured uncomfortable with the awkward silence that had surrounded them.

"Do you need help getting back to bed?"

"Actually I'd like to stay here for a bit, it's calming"

He stood up and looked out at the sea for a moment before pulling up a chair for himself

"I think I'll join you"

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I hope the flashbacks and forwards aren't too confusing.<p>

Do review and let me know what you think.

Will try and have the next one up soon


	9. Visiting Cards

Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews.

I tried something different with this chapter I hope you like it. Ignore the title I'll change it when I come up with something better.

For now here's the next chapter...

**Chapter 9: **_**Visiting Cards**_

Eric Myers stared intently at the laptop in front of him. He was trying to write a letter to his sister, trying being the operative word. So much had happened these past few days and to his utmost displeasure he found most of it bewildering and all because of one person.

When he first met Mrs. Rita Earhardt he thought of her as a silly woman with an archaic way of thinking and a desperate need to impress. Leelee and Kimberly were quick to add that she was also a gold digger who was looking to pawn off her daughters on the wealthiest man she could find. At first he found their comments harsh but having encountered the woman more frequently he couldn't help but agree to an extent. However she had proved that not only was his first impression of her dead on the sisters had hit the nail on the head as well.

With Jen feeling much better and Dr. Manx giving her the go ahead to move around a bit, the Earhardts immediately drove to the beach house to collect the girls. He assumed that as her mother Mrs. Earhardt would be grateful to see her daughter well, however her initial expression of joy at finding Jen in no serious condition quickly morphed into disappointment.

She had a soft conversation with Wes thanking him for all his help but also expressing how she was worried that Jen's condition was worse than it looked and even though the doctor had given her the go ahead she believed that moving Jen was not the best idea. Being the gentleman he was and smitten as he was with the young woman in question Wes immediately opened his mouth to insist that Jen stay on at the beach house. But Taylor interrupted him.

"Wes, thank you so much for all that you've done for us and for Jen especially. It was really nice of you but we can't stay any longer. Jen's fine, it'll take her a couple of days to get back on her feet but it would be best if she did that at home. Believe me you do not want to deal with a stir crazy Jen. And don't mind my mom, she's just being fussy."

"Are you sure, she's going to be okay?"

"Very"

And that was it. Much to her mother's chagrin Taylor had instilled in Wes the confidence that Jen would be fine if she went home. Not long after Wes and his sisters were busy fussing over Jen as her father helped her into the car while Tommy escorted Mrs. Earhardt. He however could not take his eyes of the blonde haired girl that had taken over his thoughts lately. She stood apart from them all favouring her injured leg but hiding it perfectly from everyone else. As everyone said their final goodbyes she turned to him with a soft smile that took him by surprise and said a quick thank you before hurrying after her family.

Two days later they returned to Turtle Cove themselves and Wes insisted on going to see Jen and neither Kimberly nor Leelee hesitated in agreeing with him. So while Tommy made the lone journey to see his father-in-law the four of them made a trip to the Earhardt estate.

Jen was doing very well, her leg was healing nicely and though she still couldn't move around much she was happy and cheerful. They spent some time with her in her room with Leelee and Kimberly fussing over her and chattering away like there was no tomorrow. Wes also joined in the conversation but was constantly interrupted by his sisters. Sensing that he wouldn't be missed Eric excused himself and sought out the other injured member of the Earhardt family. He found her sitting on the back porch immersed in a thick book.

"How's your leg?"

Startled by the sudden interruption she dropped her book and whipped her head around. Her countenance relaxed when she realised it was just him and she turned back as he took a seat beside her.

"It's fine," she replied. "A couple of more days and it'll be as good as new."

"You should go easy on it, pretending that you're fine can't be good for it."

"I'm grateful for what you did for me but I can take care of myself," she said sternly

"Like you have been doing so far," he countered

"I…"

Their verbal sparring match was interrupted when the rest of their party came downstairs. Eric stood and held out her hand to help her up. With and indignant huff she jumped to her feet too quickly for her injured leg to handle and stumbled forward straight into his arms. They stood still for a moment neither moving till Taylor realised that she was leaning against him, her face against his chest and his arms around her, one at her waist and the other at her elbow holding her steady. She slowly looked up at his face to find him smirking. Her cheeks turned a furious shade of red as she angrily pushed away from him and stalked into the house.

He followed after her and joined the other in the parlour where Mrs. Earhardt was already talking up a storm.

"I really can't thank you all enough for what you did for my Jen. And I am so happy that you came to visit her. She has a lot of patience being cooped up in the house all day can be quite a bother, though she never complains, something I wish my other girls would learn from. She is very lucky to have such wonderful friends like you."

Eric watched silently as Wes returned her compliments and the two ladies said their piece as well. Taylor on the other hand simply rolled her eyes at her mother, albeit discreetly.

"I hope you plan to stay on in Turtle Cove..."

That particular statement got his attention and Eric prayed Wes answered with caution. Mrs. Earhardt might be a silly woman but she was also one who knew how to get what she wanted. Thankfully Wes had the common sense to say neither yes nor no.

"To be honest I'm not very good at planning things. I mostly act on a whim so I can't say how long we'll be here but I do find this town very interesting," Wes answered

"You're extremely trusting aren't you?" Taylor commented unable to help herself

"I'm sorry?"

"It's just that being whimsical is not a quality that people usually broadcast"

"Taylor!" Mrs. Earhardt exclaimed but she went unnoticed

"You have a point, however I find it best to be myself, I'm not a big fan of hidden agendas"

"I didn't think you would be"

"Taylor!" her mother corrected again this time she just shrugged and let go of the subject

Turning back to Wes Mrs. Earhardt gave him her sweetest smile and asked "But how do you find it in comparison with Angel Grove?"

"I really can't compare the two," he replied "Angel Grove is definitely the more bustling city and as they say there's no place like home but now that I'm here I'm not sure if I want to leave just yet"

"What do you have to say on the subject Eric?" Leelee but in not happy at being excluded from the conversation for so long

"I find Turtle Cove a tad to archaic for my taste but it does have certain intriguing qualities," he replied nonchalantly. His eyes met Taylor's and she gave him a quizzical look before her mother started up again.

"I beg your pardon," she screeched "Just what do you mean by that?"

"Mum, he just meant that things are a little slower here than in Angle Grove, which you have to admit is true" Taylor tried to appease her mother before she embarrassed them further but her mother wasn't about to let go of things so easily

"Perhaps dear but..."

"Mom, mom, you'll never guess what ..."

Thankfully she was interrupted by Marah and Kapri who came running in looking as if they were going to burst from excitement

"Oh...sorry," said Marah when she saw that they had company "we'll come back later"

"Nonsense dear, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Uh..." the two girls looked at each other uncertainly and Taylor sat up, her two youngest sisters were rarely hesitant about repeating gossip so this had her worried

"Girls...?"

"We saw Alex in town," Kapri piped up

"Alex Drake," Taylor repeated warningly, her tone alarming Eric

The two girls nodded vigorously and turned to their mother for a reaction to their surprise she smiled and dismissed them sending them to find Rose.

"I'm very sorry about that," she said to her guests "The girls tend to get excited about the silliest things."

"Who is this Alex? If you don't mind me asking that is?" asked Kimberely. She had not missed Taylor's change of tone and was most amused

Taylor shot her mother a warning look that did not go unnoticed by Eric

"Oh... just an old flame of Jen's," Mrs Earhardt answered casually as she sipped the tea that had been served.

Eric watched Wes's features stiffen as the silly woman continued

"It was a long time ago, in High School actually, the girls just got excited because we all thought they would end up married at some point."

Taylor ground her teeth not liking the direction this conversation was taking.

"But as you know things happen, people change and so on. He must be visiting his parents, he has always been a very sweet boy, it's a shame that he had to move all the way to Australia for work."

The relief on Taylor's face when the conversation drifted to the subject of the Silver Guardians was noticeable but it was difficult for Eric to tell if it was her or Wes who was more relieved. The visit ended on a cheery note as Mrs. Earhardt once again thanked Wes and his sisters profusely for everything they did for Jen.

That was a strange visit, as most things were when dealing with the Earhardt family at least that's what Eric noticed. As he leaned back in his chair thinking about that visit he grew extremely worried about Wes. Jen Earhardt was more than just a pretty face to him but while Wes was an open book with his thoughts Jen was not and he was determined to keep his friend from getting hurt.

But there was another thing that was bothering him his own feelings where a certain blue eyed spitfire was concerned. Their encounters had become more frequent and he found it increasingly difficult to keep her at arms length.

Pushing all thoughts aside he pulled his laptop closer and began his letter.

* * *

><p>That's it for now.<p>

Please Review and let me know what you think.

Till next time...


	10. Playful Banter

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all the reviews, messages and suggestions. I will try and accommodate as many of your requests as possible but no promises there are only so many twists and turns a story can take.

I've pretty much sorted out my character list but if there are any characters especially from the newer seasons like samurai and megaforce you would like to see in this fic do let me know.

For now here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 10: **_**Playful Banter**_

Eric groaned as Leelee pulled him into yet another store. This was not the way he had planned to spend his day. They had a lot of work to do as far as the Silver Guardians were concerned. So far their discussions with the Mayor and all the other city officials were going very well, however there was still the matter of the paperwork. He had expected to be working on sorting out all their last minute kinks but alas his cousins wouldn't let him.

The day started off with breakfast as usual, his uncle who had struck up an unusual friendship with Mr. Earhardt had announced that he would be spending the day with him. Kimberly immediately piped up saying that she would tag along as she would like to visit Jen. To his surprise Leelee opted to stay home. Tommy not so surprisingly stated that he had a conference call with the director of the university he was associated with and would hence be busy all day. With most of their party out for the day he had expected it to be quiet and hence settled in the living room with his laptop.

"Are you writing to Maddie again?"

He looked up to find Leelee peering at him over his laptop – a little too close for comfort in his opinion.

"She's a very lucky girl," Leelee continued without waiting for a reply. "I don't think half as many guys write so frequently and such lovely letters to their girlfriends let alone their sisters"

"I would hardly call my e-mails lovely," he replied darkly displeased with the distraction.

"Yeah" Wes commented as he entered the room laden with files "Poor Maddie's probably fed up with all his mails checking up on her. I bet she's glad she made him promise not to call more that once a day."

Wes grinned at Eric who spared him a glace before turning back to his work.

"Oh sush you" Leelee disregarded her brother without even turning to look at him

"Is there something you want?" Eric asked her but dreaded it a moment later. She was bored that much was apparent. She had been inside the penthouse all morning and while there was by no means a shortage of activities for her to pursue without her gaggle of friends Leelee was bored and a bored Leelee was dangerous at least for the two of them."

"I'm bored" she stated matter-of-factly

"You should have gone out with Kim" said Wes

"But I want to hang out with you guys"

"We're busy" Eric told her without looking up from his work

"But you've been working all morning," she complained

"You knew we'd be busy," Said Wes

"Wess" she wined using the voice she knew could get him to do anything for her.

"Dad's sending me to god knows where at the end of the summer to do god knows what, can't you at least take a little time of work to hang out with me."

Eric sighed as he saved his work and prepared himself for what would follow that performance

"Well...I guess it couldn't hurt to take a break"

Eric had to give the girl credit. She had her brother wrapped around her little finger and didn't even need teary doe eyes to bend him to her will.

"Have fun you two" he said in a ditch attempt to get out of the ordeal.

His current predicament was proof that it didn't work. But to be fair it was Wes who dragged him on this outing rather than Leelee. And speaking of Wes he had abandoned the two of them when they stopped at a jewellery store and they hadn't seen him since. This left poor Eric to be dragged about by his cousin. When this was over Wes was in for some major payback.

At the moment he found himself standing in an antique shop. It was a rather unusual choice for Leelee but he figured since he was here he might as well get Madison a gift. The store itself was quaint and had a very rustic look to it. In the very centre was a large faux tree that reached the ceiling while the branches stretched across the room with various baubles and trinkets hanging off of them. The trunk itself was an open shelf that displayed an assortment of strange looking perfumes, at least that's what he assumed they were.

Leelee had left him to go examine some antique dolls that were on display in a corner of the shop. He chose to browse through the shelves and was amazed by the collection of books and figurines. He walked over to take a closer look at the books when someone unexpectedly crashed into him.

"Oof"

He turned around to see a young girl with curly blonde hair on the floor with a cardboard box and several books scattered around.

"Are you alright?" he asked bending down and offering her a hand.

She looked up at him and blushed before nodding her head vigorously and immediately scampering about to gather up the books.

"I'm so sorry about that, I was carrying the box and I didn't see where I was going and..."

"It's alright really, don't worry about it."

"Thanks" she said accepting the books he had picked and placed them on a nearby counter

"I am sorry though, this doesn't happen very often, well actually it does, I am a bit of a clutz..."

"It's fine"

"Oh sorry I'm rambling away, Uh...welcome to Rootcore Antiques, I'm Clare, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a gift for my sister"

"Oh wonderful," she clapped her hand together excitedly and hurried behind the counter

"Is there anything in particular that you're looking for?"

"Not really"

"Oh… does she have any interests then?"

"Films…I suppose"

Clare tapped her finger against her chin as she thought about what he had said

"I'm sorry we don't have anything like that, is there anything else she likes?"

"Magic, mermaids more specifically," he said thinking about the painting Madison had back home and the numerous volumes on mermaid folklore.

"Ooo… Mermaids… I have just the thing"

She rushed into the back and returned with a lacquered box. She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she carefully slid back the lid. Inside sitting on a seat of plush red velvet were seven jewelled pendants. They were exquisite and unlike anything he had seen before, each pendant had its own form and was remarkable in its own way. There was a ruby dragon, an amethyst pixie, a diamond snowflake, an emerald leaf, an onyx wolf and an aquamarine mermaid which was perfect for Maddie. However it was the last one that caught his attention, an amber pendant in the form of an eagle in flight. Clare looked at him curiously when he picked up the eagle instead of the mermaid and a sly smile crept on to her face as she continued to watch him. Eric lifted up eagle and examined it closely, at once the image of blond hair, lips twitched upwards slightly in a secret smile and dazzling blue eyes flashed through his mind. It startled him and he clutched his hand around the pendant as a reflex.

"Is everything alright?"

"Uh… yes fine, I'll take the mermaid, do you have a necklace to go with it?"

Clare nodded and fiddled with a latch on the box before pulling out a compartment that held simple silver necklaces.

"Perfect"

"Alright, let me just pack this up for you"

While Clare saw to his purchase Eric sought out his wayward cousin and found her admiring her reflection in an ornate full length mirror.

"Are you planning on buying a mirror?"

"Oh heavens no this thing is far to gaudy for my taste, I was just admiring the beauty inside it"

Eric rolled his eyes and turned to leave leaving her to follow in his wake.

"Here you are" said Claire holding out a simple brown bag for Eric

"Thanks"

Claire watched the duo leave with a mischievous smile on her face. She was very excited and couldn't wait to see how things turned out.

"I can't believe you actually bought something from there," said Leelee as they made their way down the street

"Just a little trinket for Maddie"

"And did you see the way that shop girl was looking at us, if I didn't know any better I would have thought she had something up her sleeve."

"She's harmless, just a little quirky, but I've heard she can be rather insightful"

"And just where did you hear that?"

"Taylor mentioned it at some point"

As soon as he said the words Eric regretted saying anything as Leelee's expression turned grim and her tone took a snarky turn.

"And what else did the lovely Taylor tell you?"

"Leelee," he warned but she paid him no heed and proceeded to belittle Taylor

"You know after the two of you do tie the knot you might want to drop your mother-in-law a few hints about shutting up every now and then and at least try to keep your new sisters in check. And you must do something about your lady love's arrogance and impertinence."

"Do you have anything more to add?" he asked darkly his tone a little harsh and his jaw set firm but Leelee paid him no heed.

"Oh yes, you should definitely put up pictures of your new relatives in your gallery at home but I don't think one of your new wife would be apt. after all even the best photographers or painters won't be able to do justice to her lovely eyes," she mocked

But to her surprise and his own Eric did not lash out and deny any of her claims or insist that Taylor was worthless and any regard he would have for her would be facetious. Instead he chuckled and replied

"To capture their expressiveness would be a hard task indeed but their colour and shape which are remarkably fine as well might be copied, don't you think"

He couldn't help but smile at the rage that flashed across his cousin's face and he only felt lighter when only a moment later his eyes met another pair, the very subject of their conversation.

"I didn't know you two were planning on going out," Kimberly scolded.

She had dragged Taylor with her on a shopping trip much to the other girl's confusion and had been strolling down the street with her new companion when they ran into Leelee and Eric.

"I would have waited for you had I known" she unceremoniously disengaged herself from Taylor and deposited herself on Eric's other side.

"Shall we go check out this store up ahead?"

"Why don't you three ladies go ahead, I'll wait for Wes," Eric offered not wanting Taylor to feel left out

The two women on either side of him turned sharply to Taylor who at once tried to get away from them

"Oh don't worry about me, you guys go ahead I'll just run along and het a few errands done"

"Oh no, you won't" Wes joined the party with an unusually commanding voice

"You are going to join us for lunch" he added with a smile taking Taylor's hand and looping it through his own before turning to his sisters.

"You two can continue shopping later, now we eat" and with that he led the group down the street to a nearby café with Taylor who made no move to pull free but joined him in a quick conversation with a smile on her face.

As they followed the two blondes in the lead Eric could not help but feel a strange sensation flowing through him, one that made him want to treat his cousin and best friend to a knuckle sandwich.

They sat down at a corner table away from the chattering crowd. Wes immediately broke into conversation. Taylor couldn't help but smile as she watched him go on and on about the quaint café they were in, his sisters however were not impressed by his choice of restaurant judging by the odious expressions on their faces.

"Hi, Welcome to the Clock Tower Café, What can I get ya?"

The five of them looked up to see a teenager with garish green hair standing next to their table with a notepad in hand.

"Nice hairstyle Trip," Taylor chuckled at the horrified expressions on Leelee and Kimberly's faces, Wes however looked oddly impressed.

"Thanks Tay, thought I'd try something new. Looks awesome, don't you think?"

"It's definitely you"

"So, the usual then? And what can I get for the rest of you?

"What horrendous hair!" Kimberly exclaimed as he walked away after taking their orders

"And they let him handle food?" Leelee asked disgusted

"If you count bringing it over, then yes" Taylor replied matter-of-factly

"You actually know the little imp?" Kimberly turned to her

"Same high school"

"Isn't he still in high school?" asked Wes

"Oh no the little braniac over there graduated the same year I did and then moved on to MIT. He's probably just home for the summer"

"And he works at a cafe?" Leelee asked disbelievingly

"His parents own the place so he helps out now and then"

They were interrupted by Wes' cell phone, as he excused himself to take the call his sisters made their excuses and made their way to the powder room.

"So how exactly did you get roped into this?" Eric asked after the two sat in silence for a few moments

"Kimberly came by to see Jen this morning, I was supposed to be giving her a ride into town but ended up tagging along on her shopping trip, and here I thought she'd be glad to get rid of me."

He raised an eyebrow at her straight forwardness

"What you didn't honestly think your cousins like having me around?"

"Wes does" he replied inspite of himself

"I find it hard to believe that there are many people that Wes doesn't like"

"You'd be surprised"

"And may I ask how you got roped into such an ordeal? This doesn't seem like something you would do out of choice"

"And what do you think I would rather be doing?"

"Working" she stated confidently looking straight into your eyes "Besides you don't strike me as the type who can be easily persuaded to do something he doesn't like"

"I could say the same about you" he replied with an amused smile

"I promised my sister I'd behave and be nice to them, what's your excuse?" she leaned forward with her head resting on her elbow

"Wes needed someone to distract Leelee while he picked out a gift for... a friend" he revealed though not entirely sure why he was doing so.

"Well aren't you a good friend then?" she teased

Eric found himself highly amused at the mischievous twinkle in her eyes but their banter was interrupted by Wes' return.

"So are we talking about?"

Taylor smiled at Eric and sat back in her seat before turning to Wes

"Eric and I were debating our tendencies or rather lack thereof of giving into persuasion?"

"Yes, although defining the context for this discussion would be apt before we proceed" Eric added

"Oh sure why not" said Wes teasingly leaning in slightly towards Taylor "But don't forget to take into count the person's height and size. For example if Eric here were not the taller and stronger of the two of us I probably wouldn't pay him half as much attention even though we're related. You see on certain occasions I have never met a single person who can be as intolerable as Eric."

Eric knew that Wes meant is as a joke, he was too light hearted person to mean any malice by it. But he couldn't help but feel slightly affronted by his cousin's words and appreciated that Taylor only smiled slightly in response. However Wes' sisters chose that moment to return and having overheard their brother's remark immediately proceeded to scold him for it.

"You know if you wanted us to stop arguing you have just asked?" Taylor said simply to Wes as their food arrived.

"I could," he replied "but I have never met two people who like argue as much as you two do"

The rest of their conversation was dominated by Kimberly and Leelee who delighted in telling the others of all their purchases. It was only when they were leaving that the two of them disengaged themselves from the rest of their party and walked ahead while Eric and Taylor waited for Wes who had insisted on paying for lunch.

"Hey Taylor" they both turned to find the Green haired boy who had waited on them before running up to them with a box in hand which he held out to Taylor.

"For Jen," he explained "I heard about her accident and thought these might cheer her up"

"Chocolate profiteroles" Taylor guessed

"You know it" said Trip with a wink

"I'll make sure she gets them"

"Another one of your sister's admirers?" Eric asked after Trip had left

"Not exactly. He used to have this crush on her in high school but he realised that it was just because she was the only senior that was nice to him after he tried to write her poetry. You can literally say poetry killed any feelings he had for her."

"And here I thought poetry actually fuelled affection"

"I suppose if you're into that kind of thing it would, or if there are any real feelings to be expressed in the first place. But it does seem to be an effective cure for frivolous crushes."

"The box in your hand proves otherwise"

"Nah... that's just Trip... It's just something he does."

"I see" he turned away to look at a few posters that had been pinned up against the board. One in particular caught his attention

"You have concerts in the park?" he asked curiously.

"Huh...oh yeah... Mrs. Cruger loves them, we have them all the time, there's one happening tomorrow actually."

Eric regarded her for a moment, she no longer had the guarded expression she held when Wes and his sisters were around and despite his better judgement there was something that compelled him to ask,

"Would you like to go?"

* * *

><p>That's it for now.<p>

I hope you enjoyed it.

Please Review and let me know what you think.


	11. Fleeting Feelings

Hey guys, sorry about the wait had some trouble putting this chapter together. I'm still not sure where this one is going but will clear things up in the next one.

For now here's the next chapter...

**Chapter 11: Fleeting Feelings**

"So he asked you out?"

That was the fourth time Alyssa had asked her that question

"No Lyss, he didn't" Taylor answered once again

The two girls were sitting on the back porch of the Earhardt's home while Jen sat in a chair nearby with her injured leg propped up on some pillows with Katie sitting by her side as Taylor related to them the events that had transpired earlier that day.

"What did he say again?" Jen pursued the subject

"Would you like to go?

"It sounds like he was asking you out to me," said Katie

"Exactly" Alyssa affirmed

"He asked if I would like to go not go with him" Taylor asserted

"Details, details" said Jen lazily as she leaned back into her chair

"Come on guys do you really think a guy like that would ask someone like me on a date?"

"I think the real question Tay is if he did ask you out would you say yes?" Alyssa shot back

"Let's see would I go out with an arrogant, self-absorbed rich kid who rarely steps out of his ivory tower, I don't think so."

"Aren't you judging him too soon?" Alyssa poised

"What difference does it make, in a couple of weeks I'll be back in my world and will never have to deal with him again."

She had said that very confidently at the time but now that she was alone sitting on the roof just above her window she wasn't very sure if it was true. In the time that she had known him Eric Myers had proved to be arrogant, self-absorbed, stubborn and at times a chauvinist but there was something about him, something that infuriated her and drew her to him at the same time. In those closeted moments when no one else was around she saw a different person, a person she wanted to get to know a little better and that scared her.

When he asked her that question she was a little struck and didn't say a word when he repeated it she replied that it wasn't really her thing and would perhaps make an appearance if her sisters' insisted. At the time she thought she was denying him the opportunity to ridicule her choices but right now she wasn't so sure about that.

The next evening came far too soon for Taylor. As she walked behind Jen who hobbled along with the help of her crutches with Rose and Katie hovering nearby her thoughts were miles away from the concert they were heading to. Jen had insisted on attending the evening's concert as an excuse to get out of the house and although classical music was far from her brand of music Taylor tagged along to keep an eye on her sisters. As they made their way towards the clearing where the concert would be held Kimberly and Leelee waved them down insisting that Jen sit with them.

Taylor didn't miss the angry scowl on Katie's face as they helped Jen into a seat between the two girls. For the next five minutes they paid her the utmost attention and seemed like regular girls catching up with a friend. However the moment Wes, Eric and Tommy made their arrival they completely forgot about their friend. Leelee's attention was now solely on Eric making her look more like a starved admirer rather than a doting cousin. All three of them asked after Jen but Wes immediately stole her attention.

Asking his sister to move up a chair he sat next to Jen and scarcely spoke to anyone. Tommy sat by his wife and in a rare show of affection took her hand in his. Eric was left to sit by Leelee while Katie who had accompanied the Earhardt sisters was left to her own devices and was by no means happy about it. Taylor on the other hand was a little taken aback by the cold greeting she received. She didn't expect much from the stepfords or Tommy, Wes was nice as always but was a little distracted however Eric merely nodded in acknowledgement and turned away.

Confused she made her excuses and left to find a spot at the back and not surprisingly found a companion in Katie. As they walked on Taylor couldn't help but notice that her companion was far more interested in the party they had just left but at the same time there wasn't much she could say to her. The moment the stepford sisters had stepped into their lives they had sucked Jen into their whirlwind and poor Katie often found herself as a fourth wheel in the company of her best friend. She could tell that the girl was getting agitated and would not stand being shoved aside so casually but she didn't what she could say to her to ease her mind especially when her own was reeling from the cold address she received from Eric.

"You must have really ruffled that guy's feathers, if I didn't know better I couldn't imagine him asking you out."

"Probably because he didn't"

"Taylor…"

"Don't you start as well Kate. We both know it's only the weird ones that ask me out"

"So Eric's not weird then"

"He has a long list of qualities that I'd rather not list again but weird is not one of them."

"And my brother is?"

"What are you talking about? Marcus never asked me out"

Katie looked at her with a raised eyebrow

"And neither did Scott for that matter"

"For the most observant person around you can be rather oblivious and dense when it comes to yourself."

"Look Kate...I…"

"Don't worry about it, whoever you decide to date is up to you I'm just saying you should be open to the fact that as surly as you can be guys are interested, sometimes, because otherwise you just might miss out."

With a final glance at the group they had left Katie to join some of her other friends. Taylor shook her head as she continued her journey towards the perimeter of the clearing. She was happy with the way her life was right now the last thing she needed was a guy to complicate it. But she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she already had. She sighed as she leant back against a tree and watched as the musicians stepped into the gazebo and prepare for their performance.

"Hey there stranger"

She looked up to see a familiar head of blonde hair walking up to her accompanied by two others.

"Hunter? What are you doing here?"sighed

"Appreciating some classical music," he offered

"Fat chance," said the girl with long blonde hair standing behind him

"Taylor, meet my brother Blake and his girlfriend Tori"

"You two are brothers?" she asked as she shook hands with a shorter boy with Asian features

"Adopted," Blake shrugged

"Nice to meet you," said Tori

"Likewise. You guys should head down if you're here for the concert"

"Aren't you going?" asked Hunter feeling a little disappointed

"This is as close as I like to be to these things"

"Need some company?"

"Seriously," Tori laughed

"What? It's your date, you really want me to be a third wheel?" he remarked giving her a pointed look

"On second thought you two have fun, we'll catch you later. Let's go Blake" with that Tori grabbed her boyfriend's hand and pulled him along."

"So, how's your sister?" Hunter asked as they watched the other two make their way towards the crowd

"How did you…"

"Everyone saw what happened, that was some rescue by the way"

"Thanks, but I'd rather that didn't happen in the first place"

"Wouldn't we all?"

"So why are you hitchhiking on your brother's date?" she asked sitting down as the music started to play

"Would you believe me if I said I wanted to see you?" he asked sitting down beside her.

"Even if you didn't know whether I'd be here or not?"

"Hoping to see you then"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. You pull off that daring rescue and then I never see you again. I was worried about you."

"Hunter you barely know me"

"That doesn't mean I can't worry about a friend."

She let head drop and laughed "I guess it doesn't"

The music picked up and the two of them resigned to sit in silence. Amongst the crowd seated below Jen smiled happily as she sat beside Wes while Kimberly leant into Tommy's embrace and listened to the tunes with her eyes closed. Leelee looked on in pure boredom while Eric couldn't help but be distracted.

As the orchestra moved on to their next songs one by one couples left their seats and began dancing in the space around the gazebo. The Mayor and his wife were the first quickly followed by some of the older couples including the Earhardts and Trumans. Mr Collins offered his hand to his youngest daughter who looked like she would rather be sick but consented to dance with her father. Tommy swept Kimberly off her feet much to her surprise, Wes would have loved to join in but seeing as Jen could barely stand without her crutches he stayed by her side. Frustrated Eric muttered an excuse that went unacknowledged and made his way back to his car.

As he made his way through the rows of chairs he saw many younger couples join the crowd. He smirked when he spotted Sky trying to dissuade his brunette girlfriend from joining in, he even spotted Mike with a blonde woman he assumed was his date. But his smirk soon turned into a feral scowl when he saw a familiar head of blonde hair laughing away with another blond. His fists clenched and he turned sharply storming along the path and as far away from the clearing as possible.

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed it, the next one should be coming up soon.<p>

Please review and let me know what you think.


	12. Dangerous Affections

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews and messages.

I hope this chapter helps clear up any confusion from the previous one. If there are any characters you would like to see in this fic do let me know soon.

For now here's the next chapter...

**Chapter 12: **_**Dangerous Affections**_

Eric drove as fast and as far away from the park as he could. He has sent a quick message to Wes letting him know that he had left but he doubted his cousin would bother at the moment he was –thankfully - far too distracted. He was almost at the penthouse when a sudden impulse forced him to speed right passed it.

He came to a halt by the giant turtle-shaped lake, from which the city got its name. With a feral growl he stomped out of the car and slammed the door shut. It wasn't until had perched himself on the hood of his SUV that he sighed and took a deep breath trying to let go of the fury building up inside him. It was a warm evening and he was glad that he had settled for a dress shirt and slacks rather than a suit like his uncle and Tommy had insisted on.

He leant back against the windshield with his arms folded behind his head and stared up at the slowly darkening sky. The sound of the water gently lapping against the shore brought some calm to his stormy thoughts. Never before had he been so out of control of his emotions and actions and that was what angered him more than anything else.

As he had done before Eric thought about all that had happened since he had come to Turtle Cove. The city was not very large but seemed like an ideal choice to set up the Guardian's headquarters. While the crime rate was not exponential there were several big businesses here that could use security. Besides that, other cities like Blue Bay Harbour, Mariner Bay, Ocean Bluff and Reefside were easily accessible and would allow the Guardians to expand without having to set up several bases. As far as business was concerned, all was well. But nothing could have prepared him for the whirlwind that was Taylor Earhardt.

Apart from being an efficient businessman his father was also descended from a long line of aristocrats. He then married the sister of his most trusted business partners, kind and gentle woman who also came from a wealthy family. Hence, as a child he lived a life of luxury and one subjugated to the rule of the classes. Most of his time was spent with children of his parents' wealthy associates or with his cousins Wes and Kimberly and a few years later with his sister Madison and cousin Leelee.

He never had a chance to interact with regular kids. At least until the day he accompanied his mother to a local school on one of her charity projects. He was six at the time and there he met a young orphan boy called Troy. Although they came from different worlds Eric found that he had a lot in common with this boy and was eager to be his friend. Seeing their always well behaved son interact so openly with someone other than Wes thrilled his parents and Troy was always welcome in the Myers' home. Eric's wealthy friends continuously ridiculed the boy but they remained friends for two long years as Eric stood by his friend no matter what.

Two years after meeting Troy, not long after his eighth birthday Eric's life changed and he was forced to grow up. His parents were on their way to visit Wes' mom who was very ill at the time but an unexpected storm ensured that when their plane landed it was it shambles. Eric lost his parents that night and was left with only his three-year-old sister. The day he lost his parents was also the day he lost his best friend. Much later he found out that Troy's grandfather had moved them to another city at short notice not giving the boy a chance to say goodbye. But at that point not seeing his friend at the funeral nor after hit him hard especially as his other 'friends' constantly whispered that Troy was only his friend because of his money and the fact that he was not there in when Eric needed him was only proof of that. This destroyed his trust in people.

He might have gotten over it but soon after he and Madison were placed in the care of Necrolai Primvare. As Wes' mother was still very ill the Collins were declined guardianship of the two children and were thus left in the care of a close friend of their mother's. His aunt, as he acknowledged her drilled into him the barrier between the classes and the fact that connections were vital if he were to succeed in life.

After his aunt and Wes' mother gave into her illness and passed away Madison went to live with their uncle while Eric and Wes left the country to study in England. Eric had learned a lot as he groomed himself to take over his father's work and build something of his own. In his teens he had a few relationships, none that lasted more than a few days because he realised that these girls only wanted to be with him because of his wealth. After a point he shunned all relationships and focused on the most important girl in his life, his sister, Madison.

He realised that while he cared not of what other's thought of him and decisions but if it meant protecting Madison he would keep up appearances. Wes often chided him on his reluctance to date saying that he would never get married and end up alone. Much to Wes' chagrin it never riled him up because he had decided that he would never find a girl who actually got him and if somewhere down the line if he did get married it would be to someone he could respect and who could be the big sister Madison needed.

He had met and mingled with hundreds of women, some gorgeous, some witty and some just plain silly but he had never found himself attracted to a single one of them. Wes often told him that there was something severely wrong with him but he didn't care he was in control and that was the way he preferred it. That was until now…

She started out as a thorn in his side, annoying and someone who thought she knew too much. But in time he had grown fond of her wit, sarcasm and straight forwardness. He could honestly say he had never met a woman quite like Taylor Earhardt.

A soft smile graced his features as he looked back on the time they had spent together both alone and in the company of their respective families. But his smile soon turned into a worried frown as he recalled one particular incident.

It was just after they had left the café. She had brushed of his rather weak attempt to ask her out as a casual question and he was thankful for it. He had no idea what possessed him to do that. They didn't speak as much once Wes joined them allowed him to dominate their questions. By the time they had caught up with the two sisters the awkwardness between the two had begun to dissipate allowing them to breathe a little easier and participate in the conversation.

"What do you think of this dress?" asked Leelee as she pulled them into a store and immediately pulling a dress off the rack.

"I don't think yellow's your colour sis," Wes offered and received a scowl in return.

"I wasn't asking you brother dear, I was talking to Taylor"

Without giving Taylor a chance to reply Leelee took her hand and pulled her in front of the mirror and held up the dress. It was a simple, low-cut, a-line dress in a bright shade of yellow that fell to Taylor's knees.

"So, what do you think?"

"Uh…."

"I think you'd look really hot in this," Leelee continued. "Don't you think so Eric?"

Taylor stiffed unsure if she wanted to hear what he had to say on the subject. But much to Leelee's chagrin he just shrugged

"That question is best left for the person she wants to impress. Women rarely buy clothes based on what they think of themselves in the outfits, it's most often a question of casting an impression on a particular person or group of persons when in fact what you wear has little to say about the impression you are trying to cast."

"You really do know how to take all the fun out of shopping, don't you?" Leelee huffed as she threw the dress an attendant before looping her arm through Taylor's and leading the party out of the store.

"He definitely needs to be punished for that remark," she exclaimed loudly. "What do you think he deserves Taylor?"

Taylor turned back to glance at Eric's impassive face before answering her acquaintance

"Humor serves best in these situations, but you would know better if there is anything we can laugh at him for?"

"I've known him for years and he has always been as cool as a cucumber, rather boring, yes? But not something you can easily poke fun at" replied Leelee.

"It's true he's always been so well behaved. He really is a man you can't fault," Kimberly added

"A man with no faults, is that really so" Taylor turned to him once again with a look that clearly said she could point out a few just for fun.

To his surprise and her own he chuckled before replying, "My cousins give me far too much credit but I do believe that I have enough faults that will disallow me from being as pretentious. My temper for one, at times I have no control over it whatsoever, you can even call it resentful. Forgiveness and second chances are definitely not my strong suit."

"Hmm…that is a grave fault indeed but chosen wisely. It is definitely not one I can make light of. But do you really propose to hate everybody?"

"Do you, to wilfully misunderstand everyone?"

They stared at each other, a tension unlike either had felt before building up. However Leelee and Kimberly were not about to be shut out of a conversation and proceeded to talk about all the things they wanted to buy before they left town.

At that point Eric realised just how dangerous paying Taylor too much attention was. He was greatly relieved when a phone call from her mother forced her to excuse herself from the party. He knew he had to do something to distance himself from her and had resolved to be as detached as possible. He did just that when he ran into her at the park but now as he lay on the hood of his car he didn't think it was the best idea.

He had resolved to detach himself from her but he didn't miss the flicker in her eyes that followed his cold greeting. He couldn't get her out of his mind and when he saw her laughing away with the tramp from the race track his blood boiled. He knew he shouldn't feel like this, she was nothing to him, there was no logical reason for him to feel like this but yet he was unable to control himself.

He was not in love with her of that he was sure but he couldn't deny the fact that she attracted him, far more than he would like to admit. But there was no way he could fall for her, any kind of relationship between them was inconceivable. They were far too different and came from two very different worlds. He knew himself well enough to know that if he did fall for her there was nothing and no one but Taylor herself that could stop him from wanting to be with her but he couldn't just think of himself. Taylor would not be accepted in the world he came from and the fact that she was a pilot with the Air Force would only count against her. But even if they could get past her social standing and her career her family stood in the way. Her father and Jen weren't so bad but to be associated with her mother and other sisters was far too great an embarrassment. Perusing a relationship with Taylor Earhardt was one decision that would not go over easily with his peers. And while he couldn't care less about what people thought of him it would make life difficult for Madison and that was something he would not allow.

His affection for Taylor was dangerous and he knew that he had to bury it before he got in too deep. He comforted himself with the thought that he wouldn't be in town much longer and that she too would leave soon. The chances were that they would never see each other again but till then he would have to maintain a cold front and make sure he kept his guard up when around her. It still amazed him that without really trying she got him to ease up around her and be himself. That afternoon he revealed far too much of himself, much more than he would have liked. He concluded that Taylor Earhardt was dangerous for him and that he would need to push her away as best he could. But as an image of fierce blue eyes and blonde hair flashed through his mind, he knew that it was not going to be an easy task.

* * *

><p>That's it for now I hope you enjoyed it. I'm a little busy this week but will get cracking on the next chapter as soon as I can.<p>

Please Review and let me know what you thought of this chap.

Till next time...


	13. Letter from a Stranger

Hey guys, I'm very sorry for the wait I just haven't had the chance to upload.

Thanks so much for all your reviews, messages and ideas for future characters. I've pretty much got everything sorted now but if you still have any ideas and/ or requests let me know.

For now, here's the next chapter...

**Chapter 13: Letter from a Stranger**

The next morning found the Earhardt family all together in their living room. Mr. Earhardt sat in his favourite armchair by the fireplace reading the day's paper with an amused expression on his face while his wife sat across from him, a terrible scowl on her face, flipping through her magazine with a vengeance. Their daughters were scattered across the room each a slave to their own devices. Rose sat on the floor typing away on her laptop which was propped up on the coffee table, Marah and Kapri were huddled by the window each busy on their phones while Jen relaxed with her leg propped up on their chaise lounge working on some new sketches and Taylor took up residence on the couch with a book.

Although the five girls were heavily engrossed in their own things they couldn't help but look up at their parents every now and then. However the two elder Earhardts sat in relative silence while the aura of a cold war stirred about them.

"Okay guys, that's it," Taylor broke through the silence, she had had it with her parents acting like children, she wanted answers and she wanted them now. The other girls immediately stopped what they were doing and turned towards their parents both of whom were staring at their second eldest.

"Something's going on and you two are either going to spill the beans right now or go to your room and sort it out."

"Come now dear, is that the way to speak to your parents?" Their father commented, his grin still in place.

"EeeeK" Mrs. Earhardt shrieked as she got to her feet. "That's it, I have had it with you. If you girls want to know what's going on ask him." She threw the magazine on the floor and stomped out of the room

Jen gave her father a reproving look and limped after her mother

"Dad?" Taylor questioned in a softer tone

"You're mother's upset because we will be having visitors soon," he stated.

"But she loves visitors" Kapri piped up

"Apparently not this one darling," Mr Earhardt sighed as he folded up his paper

"Dad will you cut to the chase already?" Taylor pushed.

"A couple of days ago I received a letter from a young man, Dr. Adler's nephew to be exact."

"Whose Dr. Anker?" asked Marah without looking up from her phone.

"It's Adler" her father corrected before continuing "he is a botanist as well as one of your grandfather's students. He will be arriving with his nephew Cole and will be staying with us for a few days."

"And why does mom have a problem with it?" asked Marah

"Dr. Adler is interested in some of your grandfather's journals as well…"

"No" Taylor interrupted in disbelief "He's that guy… dad you can't be serious"

"Taylor…"

"What guy?" asked Kapri looking very confused

"He's the man that wants to rip our home from right under us," Mrs. Earhardt returned and stood in the doorway glaring down at her husband.

"What?" Marah and Kapri exclaimed turning to each other with shock and disbelief etched onto their faces.

When she received no reaction from her husband Mrs. Earhardt stomped her foot and folded her arms in defiance like a child throwing a tantrum as she stormed away once again with a helpless Jen limping after her. Shaking her head is annoyance Rose lifted herself off the floor and followed Jen in an attempt to help her calm their mother down.

"Dad…" Taylor persuaded, "You don't even like this guy. Scratch that, you hate this guy."

"True. And were the letter from him I would have tossed it away immediately. However as I said it was his nephew Cole who wrote to me. The boy seems quite sincere and I thought it best to give him a chance."

"Dad it doesn't matter who the letter was from, inviting Wagner here is not a good idea"

"My dear Taylor, my situation with Dr. Adler is your grandfather's way of punishing me for joining the army instead delving into science. And don't you think it would be wrong to dismiss the boy merely because of his uncle."

"But…"

"Perhaps you should read his letter yourself and then tell me what you think."

He picked up an envelope from the table nearby and held it out for his daughter. As she rose to take it she glanced at it with some suspicion.

"You weren't kidding when you said letter?"

"Sincere he maybe but apparently not very tech savvy."

"I don't know what this letter says," she added as she pulled the letter out of its envelope. "But I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Mr. Earhardt chuckled to himself as he watched his daughter unfold the letter. Taylor on the other hand was trying very hard to come up with a logical reason for her father's decision. For once her mother's reaction actually made sense. Her parents rarely spoke about Dr. Adler, in fact as far as her mother the subject was taboo. But she did pick up enough to outline the history.

Viktor Adler, long before he became a doctor was one of her dad's closest friends who later became her grandfather's most favoured student. In fact he was treated like a part of the family and filled the void her father had left when he joined the army. Something happened after that while her dad was home on leave, something that ended an old friendship and destroyed the bond between father and son. Over the years after her dad married her mom he began to mend bridges with his father and moved back into the house. It was only after her grandfather passed away and his will was read out did her dad realize that his father had never truly forgiven him.

Her grandfather's will stated that he was leaving the estate to his only son, however should something happen to his son and in the absence of any male heirs the estate would pass onto Dr. Adler's next of kin. It was preposterous, but the instructions were clear. The lawyers could not find a loophole and so it remained that should something happen to her father Adler gained nothing but his son or daughter or in this case nephew stood to gain the entire estate.

She often wondered what her grandfather was thinking when he came up with that clause but could never quite figure it out. Her mother was extremely opinionated on the subject and never missed a chance to let her husband know exactly how she felt about it. Taylor often laughed to herself when her mother exaggerated the situation they would be in if something happened to her husband. It amazed her how her mother thought her own daughters so incapable of supporting themselves. She was certain that in the worst case scenario they were turned out of the place they called home they would definitely not end up on the street. She did have to admit though losing the estate would be a big loss to all to them.

She sighed as she began reading dimly aware that her sisters were watching her. The postmark told her that it had come from South America. She was curious about what this boy Cole, had said in his letter. It had to be good if her father was willingly allowing Dr. Adler into his home. It read…

_Dear Sir,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I know you must find it strange that I chose to write to you when an email would have been much quicker but I believe that the nature of this communication is rather sensitive and required a more personal approach. In addition this manner of approach allows to me convey what is to be said with more ease than its electronic counterpart._

_Trivial things aside, I understand that you must be weary of receiving such a letter from me as we have never met nor spoken before and given the troubled relations between you and my uncle. I implore you to read on and hear me out. What comes next I leave wholly to you._

_By the time you receive this letter my uncle and I shall be deep in the Amazon forest looking for answers that your late father and my uncle's teacher once sought. My parents were very intrigued by the history of Animaria and your father's theory on the subject. Since I have had the misfortune to lose them I have joined my uncle on this quest to prove that the ancient land on Animaria did in fact exist._

_Our research thus far has yielded that some link to this ancient land maybe found in the reaches of the Amazon hence the reason for our expedition which has been generously funded by Lady Necrolai Primvare. However most of our findings have proved to be rather cryptic and I believe that the key to finding the answers we have long been searching for is your fair city of Turtle Cove. I also believe that the journals you father kept of his findings, which my uncle has told me about, may shed some light on the subject._

_My uncle has agreed to journey to Turtle Cove once our current expedition is complete. I hope that this journey will not only yield answers but also allow the two of you to lay the past to rest and move on. I know there are some legal issues of which I am not fully aware but I am certain that two such remarkable people and yourself and my uncle shall not let the triviality of the matter come between you. In addition I hope that you would allow us access to the aforementioned journals to aid our quest. I am of the greatest hope that we all sit down and communicate our feelings on the subject that which has torn us all apart for so long maybe resolved and that we will reach a compromise that will leave all parties involved satisfied._

_Once all is settled I will send ahead the information about our arrival._

_Till then my fondest regards to you and your family,_

_Sincerely,_

_Cole Evans._

"Does this guy even know what he's talking about?" Taylor exclaimed aloud once she had read the letter.

"Why? What's it say?" asked Marah

Taylor however didn't respond, she was still staring at her father who stared back far too amused to say anything.

"You really think this guy is sincere? Because it just sounds like he's trying too hard to impress you, to me"

"That may be so but..."

"But you find him interesting, don't you?" she finished for him shaking her head in disbelief

"What are you two talking about?" Kapri whined

"Let's just things are going to get a little interesting around here," Taylor answered her before turning back to her father. "I really, really hope you know what you are doing? This guy seems a little off the bend to me, it's kinda creepy actually. I don't know what you've got up your sleeve or what kind of games you plan on playing with this kid and Adler just make sure you think this through."

"C'mon now dear do you really think I'm that devious?"

Taylor smiled as she rose from her seat and handed the letter back to him.

"Think dad? I know you better than that."

Mr. Earhardt chuckled as he watched her leave while his remaining daughters looked back and forth with confused expressions before simultaneously shrugging and once more busied themselves with their phones.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I doubt my choice for Mr. Collins was a shocker but I hope you liked it all the same. Do review and let me know what you think of my little addition twist to the story.

Till next time...


	14. Conversations and Promising Proposals

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews. This chapter hasn't really worked out the way I thought it would. I think I might have overdone it with the twists and turns but I'm going to let you be the judge. Please let me know whether you like this new angle or not. If you guys don't think it works I'll rework it a.s.a.p.

For now here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 14: **_** Conversations and Promising Proposals**_

Taylor leaned in the doorway of the living room as her father walked through the front door with Dr. Adler and Cole in tow. Her mother greeted them warmly at the door and her smile, though quite fake, was bright indeed and immediately introduced them to the five girls. As the two went around shaking hands with each of them or in Cole's case giving each of them a barbaric hug which made her mother flinch in disgust - though she hid it well – Taylor caught her father's eye and raised an eyebrow to which he simply shrugged, this was definitely not what she was expecting.

Dr. Adler limped in aided by a walking stick with long greying hair in a mangled mess. His face was pale and chalky with two identical scars running across his cheeks. He was dressed shabbily in a long brown coat with dusty shirt and fraying pants.

If Dr. Adler looked like a frail old man Cole was the definition of youthful exuberance. He was as tall as Taylor, tanned from his time in the Amazon and greeted all of them with a goofy grin. His dark hair was not as long as his uncle's but a wild mess all the same. He was dressed in a simple red T-shirt which was torn at the sleeves with faded jeans. He had also tied a red headband around his head which looked like it had been torn from one of his shirts.

Their appearance was definitely shocking and Taylor found it hard to believe that the wild young man standing before her was the same person who wrote to her father. Rose too was slightly taken aback. After much persuasion her father had allowed her to read Cole's letter and she had at once conjured up an image of a tall young man with slicked back hair and glasses dressed impeccably with refined manners accompanied by an older gentleman of polite decorum.

It was quite obvious that Cole was the happy-go-lucky sort and that the word etiquette did not exist in his vocabulary. However the expressions of surprise bordering on shock on both Mrs. Earhardt and Rose's faces seemed to jolt him in remembering his place and from then on he forcibly conducted himself with the appropriate manners with comical results.

"It's been a long time since I have seen you girls," said Dr. Adler breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over the party since they sat in living room. "What have you all been up to?"

Never missing a beat Mrs. Earhardt immediately launched into action. "It has been a long time hasn't it Viktor… I must say all the girls are doing splendidly… Our Jen is doing wonderfully in the fashion world, dearest Rose has already received her doctorate and Marah and Kapri will be off to college this fall," she beamed.

"And what of you Taylor?" he asked fixing his beady eyes on the blonde

"I joined the Air Force," she replied matter-of-factly and didn't miss the hiccup of surprise from Cole

"Is that so…." Dr. Adler began but was interrupted when dinner was announced.

"I must say Mrs. Earhardt," Cole began as they took their seats around the dinner table. "You have a lovely home. It's quite apparent that you put a lot of effort in keeping it so."

Taylor caught her father's eye as she lowered herself into her seat and they shared an amused grin before Mr. Earhardt chose to hide his amusement behind a glass of wine. Mrs. Earhardt however flinched when he mentioned the house and gave Cole a cold smile.

"Thank you dear," she said through gritted teeth. "But it's not really an effort if you love your home." Satisfied with her answer Cole smiled brightly but completely missed the pointed glare she sent her husband for allowing these people into their home. That being said Mrs. Earhardt's apparent dislike for her guests did not stop her from pulling out all the stops. In fact one could say that her aversion for their current company made her put all the more effort into sprucing up the place. Hence their small dining room was the picture of perfection. The hardwood table was neatly covered with an elegant tablecloth over which lay a delightful spread of mouthwatering food. Welcome or not no guest of hers would have anything to complain about.

"Rita this spread looks absolutely delightful," Dr. Adler commented.

"Yes ma'am and it is simply delicious," Cole added

"But you haven't tried it yet," said Kapri looking over at him strangely

Taylor caught Jen's eye across the table and the two immediately looked away to avoid bursting into laughter. Annoyed by his nephew's apparent stupidity Dr. Adler resigned to stay quiet for the rest of the meal. Cole however did not notice his mistake and continued to blabber on praising everything he could in true cheesy sitcom fashion.

"I must say Cole I have rarely met anyone who has so many nice things to say. Your manners are very pleasing," said Rose sitting perfectly straight. Her shock at his appearance had worn off and his manners and use of language had once more piqued her interest in him.

"Yes Cole, your manners are something," Taylor added disregarding the warning look Jen gave her. "I have to ask though does all this pleasing attention come from the spur of the moment or is it rehearsed?"

Jen playfully kicked her sister under the table and glared at her thought she attempt to conceal her own laughter didn't make it very convincing.

Oblivious Cole answered, "I must admit it is all thanks to Lady Primvare, the woman who funds are research. She insisted that I learn how to speak correctly and that I rehearse pleasantries every day so that I can fit in with proper society. I think I'm doing rather well too."

"Definitely," Taylor commented in mock seriousness. "No one would think your manners were rehearsed."

Kapri snorted loudly while Marah, Jane and Mrs. Earhardt turned away to hide their laughter. Mr. Earhardt once again hid his smile behind his drink. Rose however gave her sister a pointed glare while Dr. Adler once again fixed his eyes on her.

"Lady Primvare seems like a very nice woman," Jane offered trying to regain her composure. Taylor saw Dr. Adler groan silently at this mentioned but her curiosity towards his reaction was soon answered.

"Oh she is indeed. She is the kindest, most benevolent and generous person I have ever met. She has gracefully agreed not only to fund our expeditions but our lab back in Briarwood as well. Her house is the largest thing I have ever seen and most beautiful indeed."

"Does she have any family?" Mrs. Earhardt asked

"Sadly her husband passed away a few years ago thought she does have her daughter Camille. She is a beautiful young woman and highly accomplished. There are very few young women out there who can compare to her…"

Taylor could see the disappointment in Rose's eyes as Cole droned about the fabulous Lady Primvare and her glamorous daughter Camille. She tried to gauge her father's reaction to all this but he remained stoic. Dinner could not have ended sooner and the family and their guests once again retired to the living room where Cole offered to read to them. This was a peculiar activity for the Earhardt house hold but Mr. Earhardt allowed it to humour their guest.

Taylor half expected Cole to choose something from Dickens or another of the greats but to her great surprise he pulled out a very familiar book, a story she loved very much. Cole cleared his throat and began…

_A long, long time ago, three thousand years to be exact there existed a peaceful paradise where beautiful plants grew, animals and humans co-existed side by side. Everyone lived in harmony. This was the kingdom of Animaria._

_Humans and animals honoured each other and everyone respected the importance of nature. There was nothing but beauty and joy but this was all shattered when a great evil emerged from underground sending destruction across the land. _

_He was Master Org, an evil creature that attacked nature and humanity alike with his vile toxins. Together with his army of monstrous orgs wreaked havoc over the land allowing fear and despair to consume everyone._

_Five ancient warriors fought bravely against the evil orgs allowing the princess to escape with the help of her protector. He led her to the temple in the valley of the wild zords. There protected by five animal guardians the lion, the eagle, the bison, the shark and the white tiger she entered a long suspended sleep. Then the five ancient warriors lifted the valley into the sky to protect it from the orgs._

_Back in Animaria the battle continued till the warriors destroyed the Master Org and entombed the remaining leaders of the orgs where they would remain. However should the earth weaken because of pollution the evil orgs will rise again. But fear not with the rise of the orgs the princess and the power animals will awaken and continue the fight to protect the earth. _

_The animals will each choose a partner, someone worthy to control their power, to become warriors to fight against the evil. And so…_

"Mum, did you know that uncle Jindrax is hosting a special exhibition at the race track tomorrow. There's going to be all kinds of professional rider's and racers there. Can I go? Please," Kapri interrupted when she got bored of listening to Cole.

"Kapri!" Taylor and Jen scolded at the same time

"Oh…don't worry about it," said Cole who was clearly offended and saddened by the intrusion. "Not everyone likes these kind of stories.

Satisfied with his answer Kapri immediately engaged her mother and Marah in a discussion about the event in Blue Bay Harbour the next day. When it became clear that Cole was not going to continue his story Rose picked up a book she had discarded earlier that day and immersed herself in it while Jen leaned back in her chair raising her healing leg slightly.

Cole looked over at the two older gentlemen and finding them in discussion rose to his feet and made his way to the front porch. Seating himself in one of the chairs he stared down at the path leading to the front gate and sighed. He had been so excited to come to Turtle Cove when he found out that there may be a possibility of getting closer to the Animarium and the true history of Animaria but Lady Primvare had warned him about acting like himself. She had told him of the hostility between Mr. Earhardt and his uncle and told him that he had to behave perfectly if he was to impress the Earhardts. That was the reason he worked so hard to impress them and it seemed to be working but then he took a chance and did something he liked and it hit him in the face.

"You shouldn't take it personally"

Cole jolted out of reverie and turned to find Taylor standing in the doorway with his book in her hands.

"Relax I'm not going to eat you," she said softly seeing the scared expression on his face. She sat down next to him and held out the book.

"Thanks," he murmured

"Like I said don't take it personally, Kapri can't sit still for very long. She would have done the same thing if it were anyone else reading, especially Rose."

Cole cracked a smile and faced the blue eyed girl who at first had seemed a little scary but she just showed him how wrong he was.

"I guess it didn't help that she hates the story."

"What!"

"Yeah… that was my reaction too… but it's probably my fault she hates it so much."

"Why would you say that?" asked a very confused Cole.

"When I was a kid my dad would read to me every night. One night he told me the story of Animaria and I fell in love with it. I would read it over and over every chance I got. And once my sisters were born I would read or rather recite it to them. So you see, Marah and Kapri are not much for stories and they've kind of had an overdose of this one." She didn't know why she was telling him all this but his current 'kicked puppy' state was the only glimpse of the real Cole since he hugged them on entering and she found herself wanting to cheer him up.

"I see… I have to admit though it is a little difficult to understand how anyone could not like this story. I can read it over and over. The lion warrior is my favourite, he inspired me to see if there is any truth to the story."

She smiled he was so much like a child at the moment that she couldn't fathom why he would try to act all mature and 'proper' as Rose would put it.

"Is that so, the Animarium is one of the reasons I joined the Air Force," she murmured as she caught him stiffening at her words.

"You have a problem with that?" she questioned

"Isn't that dangerous?" he asked meekly

"I could say the same about trudging through the Amazon."

"You have a point"

Back inside Dr. Adler watched the two converse through the window and an evil smirk crossed his face. The silly boy thought they were here to make amends and seek answers… well he was half right but he had no clue about the real reason behind their visit to Turtle Cove and to the home of his former friend none the less.

From the moment they had entered he began studying each of the young girls, weighing them against each other to see who would fit perfectly into their plans. When Zedd had left to take care of some business he leant back into his chair and thought about his options.

Jen was by far the prettiest and her meek agreeable nature seemed befitting. But she was far too nice and sweet. Rose was intelligent but far too plain and passive. Marah and Kapri were too young, naive and annoying. That left Taylor, pretty and smart with a quick temper and a career that ensured she would be gone half the time. Without wasting any time he approached Mrs. Earhardt who now sat alone having bid her daughters goodnight.

"My dear Rita, I wanted to thank you for letting us into your home and the wonderful meal."

"There is no need to thank me Viktor…"

"Yes there is my dear… So much has come between us and I do miss my friends. And my late teacher's strange will that has put all of us in a difficult position," he added in a sweet voice

"Some of us more than others," Mrs. Earhardt complained

"Yes, that is why I have a proposition for you. Something that I hope will allow us to mend the bridges that have been burned."

Mrs. Earhardt's was suddenly far more interested in this conversation and dropped the icy wall she had put up. "Yes…?"she encouraged.

"Cole has reached an age where he needs a companion who will understand him and help retain all that he is to inherit."

"Your point Viktor?" Mrs. Earhardt demanded, her voice turning cold again.

"You see I would like to see Cole married, to have someone look after him. But left to his own devices he will never find the right girl. Which is why I thought…perhaps…"

"Are you implying that you would like one of my girls to marry your nephew?"

"Well it would befit us all don't you think? Cole would be settled and when he inherits the estate so shall one of your daughters."

There was nothing that could rival the smile on Mrs. Earhardt's face as she thought about the proposal she had been offered.

"Of course Jen as the eldest…"

"No, no, no," she interrupted before he could finish his sentence. "You see Jen is… well she is spoken for you see."

Dr. Adler smiled and stored that piece of information away for later. He turned towards the window and Mrs. Earhardt followed his gaze, a small smile gracing her features.

"But perhaps Taylor could fit the role?"

Dr. Adler smiled widely at the foolish woman who had just offered up her daughter as if she were a commodity. The first part of the plan had been executed perfectly and in the bargain he had gathered a lot of useful information. This scheme would probably work out a lot better than he had imagined all he had to do now was be patient and play his cards right.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I know Cole's character is a little weird right now but I'll develop it in later or rework this chapter – you tell me. As for the new twist I just thought I'd bring in a little bit of action to go with all the drama.<p>

So please review, let me know what you guys think and I'll get started on the next chap accordingly.

Till next time….


	15. New Encounters

Hey guys, thanks so much or all the reviews and messages.

Sorry it took so long to update but I was waiting on some feedback for the previous chapter before I continued. Since that's all sorted here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 15: **_**New Encounters**_

Cole Evans was not a sensible man. In fact, though he stood tall at the age of 27 he could very well be considered a boy. As he watched his 'nephew' walk around in the Earhardt's backyard Dr. Adler couldn't help but shake his head as the boy talked nine to a dozen while the poor blonde girl… uh Taylor walked along with him nodding her head every now and was well experienced with how annoying the boy could be and admired the young woman's patience for it.

At the moment, he sat in the last place he thought he would return to – his old teacher's study. Spread before him were boxes filled with notes and findings, everything the old man had found on Animara was there for his taking. It still amazed him how Zedd had accepted the naïve boy's request and not only allowed the two of them to enter his home but had given them access to all of his father's work. The two of them had parted on a very bitter note and it all the time he had known him Zedd Earhardt had never been the forgiving type. Still he thanked his stars that this phase of the plan didn't meet any unnecessary resistance. As for the second phase it was already underway and he had found and unlikely ally in Rita. Ever since their chat the previous night her behaviour towards him had done a complete 180, though it was still quite peculiar.

He turned back to the window once again watching the duo in the yard. He caught Taylor sigh in defeat and wasn't the least bit curious why. Cole could talk for hours about anything and everything often not making any sense at all. Sometimes he really made him wish he had left him in the amazon when he was a baby.

Leaning back into the chair he pulled out an old photograph from his wallet. Three people in lab coats stared back at him. To the extreme right stood a younger version of himself, a handsome man who bore no scars. In the middle was a beautiful woman with a thick mane of curly brown hair smiling brightly. To her left was another man who wore glasses. That was Richard Evans, Adler's old friend and Cole's father. The woman, Elizabeth was the boy's mother but she was also Adler's first and only love.

The three of them had been friends and partners for a long time and worked well together united by their desire to prove that Animaria did in fact exist on this earth, that the fearsome orgs were real and that the valley of the wild zords still floated somewhere in the clouds hidden from sight. He had slowly become attached to Elizabeth and had eventually fallen in love with her and because of her kind behaviour towards him he believed that she felt the same. On the day he had decided to confess his feelings for her he witnessed his friend ask for her hand in marriage. To his utter disbelief she said yes and two were soon married and not long after had a son.

He was heartbroken and felt betrayed. They had never said anything about them being a couple before and here they were preparing for a trip to the Amazon to realise their dream with an infant in tow.

Then came that fateful day, one that he would never forget. It was the day that changed all of their lives forever. In an attempt to get away from the crying infant he had wandered into the woods on his own and made a startling discovery, one that still brought a sneer to his face. His so called friends had died at the hands of his discovery and till today he never regretted it. The baby was inconsequential, however something struck him at that moment and he decided to take the boy along with him.

On returning home he realised that he had been named guardian to the child. He was more than ready to scoff the responsibility bestowed on him by his late friends and allow the boy to rot in foster care. The Amazon had revealed something to him, something he had been searching for, for a very long time. Something that had changed him and had left him determined to find the answers to the questions that were left, he didn't have the time to look after a baby.

However a surprising letter in the mail stating that his next of kin would be the successor to his late teacher's estate in the event that he did not have a grandson of his own changed his mind. The Earhardt estate was not something he could let go of easily, it was the key to everything.

It was around that time when he was struggling with the boy that he encountered Lady Necrolai Primvare, a devious society woman who was brewing up a storm of her own. A brief meeting revealed that they were both pursuing a common goal and thus entered into a partnership the likes of which neither had imagined.

His current predicament was a direct result of this partnership. Marrying off his 'nephew' to his old friend's daughter. It was ridiculous in his opinion, no woman in her right senses would want to marry the boy. But Necrolai had insisted that it was a valuable part of their plan and her reasoning had made sense at the time. But standing on the brink of it he had begun to have his doubts. He had yet to broach the subject with Cole but before that he had to decide on a girl. He would have preferred one of the younger ones as they were far too airheaded to cause him too much trouble but unfortunately Rita was too eager to offer up her second eldest, the one who would probably be most sceptical. But her occupation had its promises and he had her mother on his side.

He didn't care about the two individuals involved and how all this fared out for them. He still failed to see the whole point but Necrolai would have her way so long as he got what he wanted in the end. And the look on Zedd's face when the news was announced to him would be an added bonus.

He rolled up his sleeves and examined his scarred hands before throwing his head back and allowing a wicked smile to make its way onto his face. Soon, very soon he would have everything he wanted and then he would show the world what he was capable of. No one would ever laugh at him again.

Completely oblivious to what was going on in his uncle's head Cole happily talked to Taylor about life in Briarwood and Lady Primvare and her daughter. Taylor had felt sorry for him the previous evening. Her sister was far too rude and his own uncle didn't say anything in his defence. But right now she wished she hadn't been so nice to him especially since her mother decided she should be the one to get him away from the rest of the family. This guy could really talk and it took all of her self-restraint not to strangle him.

She let out a sigh of relief when Kapri barged out the door demanding that Taylor drive her and Marah to Blue Bay Harbour. That was how the blonde found herself in the driver's seat of Jen's sedan with Jen riding shotgun while Marah and Kapri were crammed into the back seat along with Cole who tagged along at Mrs. Earhardt's insistence.

"Where are we going exactly?" he asked a little unnerved by the excited duo seated beside him while the elder sisters were each drawn into their own thoughts.

"To the race track," Kapri answered without looking up

"We're going to watch horse races?" he questioned aghast

"No Cole," Jen answered with an amused smiled. "It's a motorcross track, for bikes. Have you ever been to one?"

The boy visibly relaxed and shook his head. At the same time his interest peaked, his life ad always been so consumed in to his uncle's work that he rarely got to anything for himself or figure out what it was that he liked to do outside of work. A look of determination crossed his face as he mentally urged himself to make the most of this opportunity. Thus the rest of the ride progressed with an overexcited Cole added to the mix.

The moment Taylor pulled into the parking lot the two younger girls shot out the door leaving Taylor and Jen to pull Cole along.

"Are you sure you want to be back here?" Taylor asked her sister as the threesome made their way towards the pavilion.

"I'm fine Tay. Besides I have to go back to work tomorrow, I can use the fresh air" Jen replied a she steered her gaze away from the track.

"If you're sure" Taylor shrugged

"This place is amazing!" Cole exclaimed as he ran ahead taking in the expanse of the track that spread out before the pavilion.

"Happy to hear that young man"

The girls looked up to see their uncle join them his usual boyish grin adorning his face. He hugged both girls but kept his arm around Jen's shoulders.

"How are you doing darling?"

"I'm good uncle J, you don't need to worry."

"I know kiddo, doesn't mean I don't feel awful about what happened"

"Why?" Taylor asked with a smirk on her face. "You didn't tell her to day dream by the track. Nor did you make that bike spin out of control," she added when her uncle gave her a stern look.

"Uhh…" Cole stood in front on the three looking from one to the other feeling a little out of place.

Jen picked up on this and immediately introduced Cole to her uncle. When Jindrax heard that Cole had never ridden a bike before he immediately insisted on giving him a crash course in the sport. He led the eager boy away calling out a quick goodbye to his nieces along with a reminder to visit their aunt before heading home.

"I'm going to go find Marah and Kapri," said Jen leaving Taylor to wander around the track on her own.

A small smile made its way to her face as she walked along the track just behind the rails watching riders take to the track, probably warming up for the exhibition race later on.

"Taylor," a familiar voice called out. Turning towards the starting line she saw a familiar blonde waving out to her. She waved back and walked towards him realising that not only was he not alone he was also suited up and ready to hit the track.

"Hey Hunter, Blake" she called out recognizing the shorter brunette standing next to his brother.

"Hey Taylor, you here for the race?" asked Blake as he leant forward on his bike.

"Yeah," she nodded

"Cool, you'll get to watch me kick Hunter's ass"

"Just you wait little brother, you may be a big shot pro rider but we'll see who kicks whose ass," he answered winking at Taylor who laughed at their banter.

"Come now boys we all know that neither of you can keep up with a real racer."

All three of them turned around as a tall brunette with spiky hair casually strolled towards them dressed in a dark jeans and a blue shirt beneath a racing jacket with a cocky grin on his face.

"Hey there," he addressed Taylor giving her a once over his grin never leaving his face.

"What would you know about real racers Kendall?" Hunter asked with a scowl on his face.

"Hey man," Blake greeted as he got off his bike and clasped hands with the newcomer, nudging his brother as he turned away.

"Taylor, this is Lucas Kendall," Blake introduced the two. "He's on the pro circuit. Luke this is Taylor Earhardt."

"Oh, are you participating in the expo race as well?" she asked as she shook his hand

"Nah, I'm prefer four wheels to two," he quipped

"Nascar or formula 1"

"Nascar"

"Really, never heard of you," she said matter-of-factly to which Hunter weakly tried to hide a laugh behind a cough

"You a fan?" Lucas asked her after sparing Hunter a look

"I catch a few races now and then" she replied

"Luke here is still driving on the B track, but his crazy driving is definitely gonna put him centre stage next season," Blake informed

"But we're just gonna have to wait and see about that," Hunter butt in

"That we shall," Lucas replied calmly

"Hunt and I are gonna hit the track once before the race, we'll catch up with you later," said Blake turning back to his bike

"Cool, I'll wait for you by the snack bar"

With that the two brothers took off down the track but not before Hunter cast a wistful glace at the duo left behind.

"Soo, do you know where that is?" asked Lucas after the brothers had turned onto the main track.

Taylor smirked and gestured with her head for him to follow her

"So mister big shot racer, what are you doing here, if not to race?"

The two continued to chat as they walked towards the other side of the track, their subject of discussion – Blake's turn out with Factory Blue. As they neared their destination a loud voice calling out to Taylor drew their attention to a group seated by a table. Taylor silently groaned when she picked out the two men standing by her sisters' table and made a quick prayer of thanks that Cole was still preoccupied somewhere.

Hesitantly she made her way over and found herself inviting her new companion along to meet her sisters.

"Where on Earth have you been?" Marah shrieked while Kapri appreciatively eyed the man standing beside her.

"Who's your friend?" she asked not even sparing her sister a glance

Taylor rolled her eyes at her sister's behaviour before making quick introductions.

"Guys this is Lucas Kendall. Lucas my sisters Jen, Marah and Kapri and that's Wes and Eric"

"Nice to meet you"

"Hi"

"Hey there"

One by one three girls smiled their greetings as Lucas bowed his head to each one with a charming grin on his face. Wes in turn nodded politely however Eric remained stoic even as Lucas inclined his head towards him. This caught Taylor's attention as for as long as she had known him at least Eric always made an effort to be polite no matter how much he dislike the company he was in. He turned towards her and for the moment she was stunned by the emotions swirling behind his eyes but before she could begin to comprehend what was going on he politely excused himself and left. Wes who had until then been hovering close to Jen made his own excuses before hurrying off after his friend.

Taylor caught Jen's eyes and the two shared a confused look before Lucas called their attention when he left the group to meet up with some friends of his. Immediately Kapri pulled her sister to sit with them as she quizzed her on her 'totally hot' new friend.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I'm very keen on knowing what you guys think about my choice for Wickham, so please review and put me out of my misery.<p>

Till next time….


	16. Small Talk

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews and messages.

I've experimented with something new in this one and I'm not sure how it comes across to a third party so if you find something confusing or weird let me know and I'll rework it.

For now, here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 16: **_**Small Talk**_

Jindrax Duke loved throwing parties – the wilder and crazier the better – and after the success of his exhibition race earlier in the day that was exactly what he did. That was why Taylor found herself leaning against a pillar with a drink in her hand as she watched pros, amateurs, riders and patrons alike mingle and groove amidst bright lights, multi-coloured flags and loud music.

Blake who had outshone all his competition in the race was currently thronged by admirers and well-wishers with a smiling Tori at his side. Marah and Kapri who had insisted on returning for the party after the five of them had left the track to pay a visit to their aunt were enjoying themselves thoroughly as they danced with their new rider friends. Those two gave their uncle a run for his money when it came to enthusiasm for a party. They along with their aunt had dragged the two elder girls into town demanding that they get something suitable to wear for the event.

Looking over at her sisters Taylor had to admit they really did know how to make a spectacle of themselves. Kapri and Marah and both chosen low-cut shimmering dresses in pink and red respectively and were having a blast as they danced and mingled. Even Jen had consented to dress up for the evening choosing a dark pink halter with frills below the bust to pair with full length slacks and even let her hair down. Their aunt had tried to coax her into a denim skirt but the scar on her leg was still fresh and showing it off was something she was far from comfortable with.

"Having fun?"

Taylor turned to find a woman with dark hair pulled away from her pale face wearing a black and blue coat dress paired with black boots smiling at her. This was her aunt Toxica.

"Of course aunt T," she replied

Both her aunt and uncle were eccentric in nature and loved to party. They never acted their age and didn't like people using their full names especially their nieces.

"I do wish you'd taken my advice and dressed up a little bit, you'd definitely have a lot more guys vying for some attention," she smirked

Taylor regarded her own outfit for the evening, a dark pair of form fitting pants with knee-high boots and a white tank under a chic yellow jacket. The only thing she consented to from the countless suggestions her sisters made was allowing her hair to fall freely over her shoulders.

"Don't worry I'm good. Besides this way I get to keep an eye on the girls as well," she faked a smile for her aunt who in turn sighed in defeat as she placed a hand on her niece's shoulder.

"At least try to have a little fun. Take a leaf out of your new friend's book if you have to," she suggested giving the young woman a worried smile as she left to join in the festivities.

Taylor sighed as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear watching her aunt try to mingle with a group of girls half her age. Pondering over her aunt's words she looked around for Cole who had happily broken out into a strange jig as he tried to copy the others' dance moves.

When the four of them had finally caught up with him that morning he was covered in mud and bruises but not even the sun could outshine the grin on his face. Taylor and Jen couldn't help but laugh at how much he resembled a kid on Christmas morning. Eventually they dragged him along to meet their aunt who, though initially put off by his shaggy appearance was simply taken with his manners and consistent flattery. After hearing that this was his first real party she had taken it upon herself to make him presentable.

And as Taylor watched the wild boy dace without a care she had to admit her aunt had outdone herself. Gone was dusty, shaggy young man in torn clothes who had turned up at their doorstep the other night. Instead stood a handsome young man with his hair sleeked back into a small ponytail at the base of his neck dressed a bright red button down shirt with the first two buttons left undone and the sleeves folded up to his elbows. A pair of slacks and dusky loafers completed his look. He was quite the looker and despite his strange dancing style many other girls seemed to agree with her.

"So, you planning on standing there all night or actually having some fun?"

Once again she pulled out of her musings, this time a blonde boy decked in a crimson dress shirt and a pair of slacks.

"You clean up rather nicely," she quipped with a mischievous smile

"I could say the same about you" he replied with a grin waving his hand towards the crowd in a silent invitation. She complied and joined him in a leisurely stroll on the grounds.

"You did good day," she said as her eyes drifted towards the people dancing not far off.

"Not good enough though," he replied solemnly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"You do realise that he races for a living and that you're sorely out of practice. Second place is not last," she countered indignantly.

He sighed slightly at looked up at the stars that had just begun to step out of hiding. "It's not just about the race. I'm happy Blake won, he's my little brother after all and at the end of the day it's just a race."

"But…?"

"There was something else I wanted to do today,"

"Like…?"

"There was…well…I uh… I wanted to…uh…impress someone"

Taylor coughed as she tried to restrain her laughter earning her a glare from her companion.

"Sorry," she said with a smile on her face. "It all just sounds way too cheesy and hilarious."

"That being said," she continued when his expression turned downcast. "I'm sure that if she knows anything about the sport she would have definitely been impressed by what she saw today."

"Who said it was a she?" he asked with a cheeky smile his broody mood having severely lightened.

"Were you trying to impress the scouts?"

"No"

"Then is there something you would like to tell me Mr. Bradley?" she asked with a smirk watching his expressions change as realisation dawned with great amusement.

"Huh?... wha?...oh… no…NO… TAYLOR!…Of course not" he sputtered

"It's cool," she said calmly. "Not a big deal at tall"

"Taylor," he warned

"Relax Hunter, I'm just kidding around… but yeah it would be cool all the same."

"You're a weird one, you know that"

"So I've been told"

As they made their way through a group of dancers their attention was drawn towards a spiky haired boy surrounded by a group of female admirers. Dressed smartly in a deep blue dress shirt under a black sports jacket complete with a matching pair of slacks and sleek shoes Lucas Kendall definitely stood out of the crowd. His handsome appearance was only complemented by his charming personality and all the women gathered around him were in agreement that he was the most eligible man around.

A shock of pink clouded Taylor's vision as her sister popped out of nowhere. However Kapri's focus was not on her sister but rather her companion.

"Hi Hunter," she said smiling brightly. "Hey Tay," she added without even looking at her sister who only smiled awkwardly at her infatuated sibling.

"Hey Kapri, you look really great," Hunter returned her greeting politely

"Thanks, so do you," she smiled before adding "I hope Taylor's not boring you with some silly story, would you like to come dance with us?" she pressed without giving him a chance to say anything.

"Uh…well…"

"It's cool with me," Taylor shrugged

"Awesome," Kapri exclaimed as he grabbed Hunter by the wrist and dragged him along. He in turn gave Taylor an apologetic smile before allowing himself to be dragged onto the makeshift dance floor.

Taylor smiled slightly as she watched him dance with her sister as she contemplated returning to the pavilion.

"Awfully rude, don't you think? To leave a pretty girl all on her own."

Taylor didn't need to turn to see who had spoken to her

"Tired of your fan club already?" she asked coolly

"Is that jealousy I sense?"

She turned to him with a raised eyebrow before walking away entirely.

"Hey wait up," he called after her running to catch up

She slowed down but continued to walk away from the loud partiers.

"Sooo… can I ask you something?"

"You just did," replied with a smirk on her face without stopping

"Ha ha wise guy, very funny," he mocked giving her his trademark smile

"What do you want to know?" she asked

"You and Eric, what's going on…?"

She stooped and turned to him with a glare

"Why would you ask me that?"

Taken aback by her reaction Lucas hesitated before continuing

"It's just he and his cousin were hanging out with your sisters and he didn't seem too happy to see me with you."

She laughed and laughed some more before regaining her composure.

"Sorry, but I think that's just the way he looks, I've yet to see him crack a smile. And as far as what happened today goes it didn't have anything to do with me, actually I'm pretty sure it was all you. So technically I should be asking you what was up? Coz I've never seen him so grouchy before."

"Known him long then?" he asked as they resumed their stroll

"About two weeks I guess. You seem rather interested in Mr. Myers though, mind if I ask why?"

"Just curious about what ol' Eric's been up to."

"It looks like you're the one who's known him long"

"You could say that. My dad used to work for his, so in a way we've grown up together."

"So you must know him pretty well then."

"In a sense, he's not an exactly an easy person to get to know"

"You can say that again."

Lucas looked up at the sky and laughed.

"You know a lot of people would be bowing down to him. And I can see why, his family is loaded and there's some noble blood running down there as well."

"That maybe so but a pompous ass is what he is. And far too conflicting for me to make heads or tails of," she added softly as she recounted those few secluded moments she had spent with him.

Since the first time Taylor had met Eric Myers she judged him to be an arrogant rich kid who knew nothing beyond the boundaries of his ivory tower and expected all those below him to bend to his will. However those few secluded moments were enough for to doubt her original reasoning but the cold shoulder he had been giving her as of late threw her into a whirl once again.

Then there was Lucas, she had only met him today and yet she found herself locked in a discussion about Eric. Sure she was curious about the friction between these two men and the reason behind Eric's strange behaviour but discussing him with anyone who wasn't Jen or Alyssa was not something she would have normally done. For some reason Lucas was able draw out of her opinions that she would normally have held her tongue on and while she was prepared to end this conversation here and now she found herself a willing participant if it meant learning more about the mysterious Mr. Myers.

"That's definitely a first. I've never heard anyone describe him quite like that before," Lucas drew her attention once more as he continued. "People have either sung his praises or condemned his pride. Personally I've always found him cold and a bit full of himself."

"Those are strong accusations," Taylor warned, her tone turning serious

"Yes well I think I'm entitled to them," Lucas confirmed.

"You seem to have read him rather well," he added in answer to her curious expression. "But there's still a lot about him that you don't know him and…"

"And…" she urged

"Don't take this the wrong way… I know we haven't known each other very long … but I've taken a bit of a liking to you and…well I think I owe it you to warn you to be careful where Eric is concerned."

Taylor smiled slightly "I don't think you need to worry about my association with Eric Myers. Someone like isn't worth his time. Besides I doubt he'll stick around after this thing with the Silver Guardians is sorted."

He looked at her with a soft smile "That's good to know"

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"We're not exactly friends, that's for sure but it's more a case of him having a problem with me than the other way around. We've had our scrimmages in the past but we're older and wiser now and I'm willing to let all it go. That's the least I owe his father."

Taylor didn't reply immediately as she let Lucas's words sink in. She would have never pictured Eric as being so immature, proud yes but not so petty. True he himself had admitted that he was not the forgiving type but this just seemed a little too strange for her. She wanted to ask what it was that called for such a long standing grudge but restrained herself. It was after all a personal matter and was it her she would have definitely not appreciated someone she had just met prying into her life.

"So hot shot, how long do you plan to stay in the city?" she asked hoping to change the subject

Lucas visibly sighed and turned to her with a grateful grin.

"Not sure really, it all depends on what team blue has in store for me. I'm just here to support Blake for the moment but I can't wait to get behind the wheel and burn some rubber."

"You're really full of hot air, aren't you?"

"A skeptic, well then I'm just gonna have to change your mind. How about going for a spin with me sometime and I can show you what real speed is all about."

Taylor raised her eyebrows at his cocky attitude but consented with a smile. "On one condition, if I'm not impressed you let me take your car for a spin."

"Deal"

* * *

><p>So, that's it for now. I know in the original Wickham tells Elizabeth the whole story at one go but I just couldn't bring myself to that here. It just seems too odd considering how long they've known each other. For those of you who have been waiting for his story, I'm sorry but it will have to wait for another chapter.<p>

Please do review and let me know what you think of this story so far.

Till next time….


	17. Morning Musings

Hey guys, thanks so much for all your reviews and messages.

I've been getting a lot of questions about the whole Camille being Necrolai's daughter and Leelee being Wes' sister thing. So in answer to anyone who's wondering about that when I started the story I had Toxica in mind for Lady Catherine but somewhere along the way I sort of switched gears and cast Necrolai in that role. By then I had already written Leelee in and since both characters are played by the same actress I threw Camille into the mix. I know it sounds silly but that was my reasoning at that point. If you guys find it too weird let me know and I'll switch them around – it shouldn't be too hard.

For now, here's the next chapter….

**Chapter 17: **_**Morning Musings**_

Jen Earhardt's face scrunched in annoyance as the rustling sound of movement in her room broke through her peaceful slumber. A blur of yellow shot past her sleep filled eyes and it took a lot of effort to push herself away from her comfy pillow. Blinking her eyes clear she looked over at the alarm clock by her bed. The luminous digits told her it was around 5:15 in the morning – way too early for anyone to be up and about. She just wished her sister would agree.

Across the room, completely oblivious to her sister's wakeful state Taylor pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and laced up her sneakers. She shrugged on her grey sweatshirt over a yellow tank and black tracks and slipped her phone into one pocket after carefully tucking her dog tags under her shirt. Picking up her iPod from the bedside table she slipped out of the room with a silent smile on her face.

Jen watched her sister leave and shook her head in defeat before crashing into her pillow once again. 5:15 she decided was far too early to be awake no matter what her crazy sister thought.

Taylor took a deep breath as she stepped out of her house quietly pulling the door shut behind her so as not wake up her sleeping family. It was still dark out with only a faint light creeping through the trees that surrounded the estate. She raised her hands in the air and stretched before plugging her iPod into her ears and setting off down the driveway breaking into a jog as soon as she was out of the gates.

Ever since she was in junior high she loved escaping the crazy humdrum of her home by taking a long jog down her favourite path in the woods. She had discovered it long ago when trying to get away from Marah and Kapri trying to pull each other's hair out as they fought over a dress while Rose chanted her superior logic on the matter as their mother shrieked at the two girls to stop while Jen tried desperately to calm her down.

When she was younger it wasn't a rare occasion for her house became the centre of chaos. Her mother, perhaps the loudest of them all would shriek and shout till she got her way. Back then before the whole Alex debacle Jen was a lot more studious and ambitious. She would often lock herself away for hours practicing speeches, filing notes making charts and so on and would be extremely grouchy and irritable when disturbed. But when it came to studying Rose gave her eldest sister a run for her money and it didn't help the rivalry between the two that the little genius was always a step ahead where academics was concerned. As for Marah and Kapri there was very little the two didn't fight about. From toys to clothes to television shows. And of course being the tenacious tomboy that she was, Taylor often ended up in an argument with her mother or one of her sisters. Her father would retire to the solace of his study at times like these. But for Taylor the only thing that would ease her mind was a visit to her favourite spot in the woods.

A smile graced her face as she picked up the pace and began her uphill charge. It was a tricky route and she was grateful that most people stuck to the jogging track in the park. There was nothing better that the freedom of darting through the trees as fast as she could till she reached the top of the hill. Unless of course you counted soaring through the sky at unbelievable speeds but this was definitely second best.

She slowed down as she neared the top and carefully made her way through the thicket. By the time she got to the top she was panting slightly but the golden light that engulfed the city was enough to completely take her breath away. Stepping towards the ledge she took a deep breath as she watched the sun rays bounce off the turtle shaped lake in the middle of the city.

After she had first discovered this place she would steal up here with a copy of her favourite story, _The Legend of Animaria_. She would often stare up at the sky and wonder if the Animarium was indeed floating up there somewhere. But even now, though she no longer held on to childish dreams coming up here made her feel like everything she had read about in the book was really true, there was just something magical about it.

As it turned out Taylor was not the only early riser in the Earhardt house. A solitary figure watched from the window as she crept through the gate into the slowly lightening day before turning to the lump in the bed across from him. Deciding that this was the perfect moment for the next step of Nerolai's bizarre plan Dr. Adler strode across the room to shove his 'nephew' awake.

"Up boy," he called. "We have a lot of work to do."

The bundle of blankets on the bed stirred but the boy beneath them made no attempt to wake up. Losing his patience Adler grabbed the edge of the sheets and pulled with all his might. He succeeded in not just yanking the sheets off the boy but sending him crashing to the floor as well.

"Wha… what?...uncle?" Cole sputtered still not quite awake

"Get dressed and meet me in the study I need to talk to you before we start work."

Adler made his way to the kitchen knowing full well it would take Cole at least thirty minutes to make it downstairs and if he was going to deal with the boy so early in the morning he was going to need coffee.

He was not surprised to find the housekeeper already fluttering across the kitchen preparing breakfast. As she had explained to him on his first morning there the entire household got an earlier start when Taylor was home. She cheerfully handed him a cup of strong coffee before turning back to what she was doing.

"At least someone here likes mornings," he mumbled to himself as he made his way down the corridor to the study. True enough Cole dragged his feet into the room his hair looking as dishevelled as ever and his clothes haphazardly thrown on. He plopped himself onto the floor next to the stack of papers he'd been reading the previous day and got to work.

"Cole," Dr. Adler addressed him after a few moments of silence.

"Y…y…yes uncle," he replied stifling a yawn.

"There is something I've been meaning to speak to you about."

"What is it uncle?" he asked setting down the sheaf of papers in his hand.

"What do you think of marriage?"

"M…m…marriage? I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Of course not," Adler mumbled before continuing. "I was referring to the conversation we had with Lady Necrolai before we left for the Amazon. When she remarked that you are at the right age to settle down with someone."

"Oh…I don't know uncle Viktor, I've never really thought about it"

Dr. Adler forced himself to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"Cole listen to me boy, Lady Necrolai and I both have your best interests at heart. And I agree with her settling down will do you a world of good. I'm not saying you need to give up the work we are doing, in fact having a companion who supports you would allow you to concentrate on your work so much better and you will never be lonely.

"You're not lonely" he stated

Adler clenched his fist in frustration, sometimes the boy was far too obvious for his own good.

"A long time ago I fell in love with a woman but she was taken away from me," he began hoping to get through to the boy. "I was heartbroken and through myself into my work. I was lonely for a very long time, till you came along. It's far too late for me now but I don't want the same thing to happen to you. You are young and deserve to find happiness."

"But uncle," Cole began while Adler slapped his hand against his forehead waiting for was coming next

"Even if I were to agree to marriage there isn't anyone in my life like that…it's not just about what I want."

Adler looked up in surprise, for once Cole had actually made sense. An evil smirk crept onto his face, if Cole was open to the idea then the rest would be as easy as pie.

"That shouldn't be a problem. You're a strapping young lad I'm sure there are several young women who would be interested in you," he chimed with a large fake grin.

"However might I make a suggestion?"

"Sure…I guess"

"You are aware of the contents of my late teacher's will, yes?"

"You mean the part where if something happens to Mr. Earhardt I inherit the estate, yeah"

"Well, it's not that I expect anything to happen to my old friend anytime soon, however no one can live forever and if that sad event were to occur sooner rather than later his girls would be most inconvenienced…"

"Are you saying I should marry one of Mr. Earhardt's daughters?"

"It's merely a suggestion, they're all lovely girls and I suppose it would mean so much to their parents if one of them were able to keep the estate in the family…" he trailed off waiting for Cole to come to a final conclusion.

"It would wouldn't it but…"Cole thought about the five Earhardt girls, with the exception of Jen they were all younger than him but Jen as nice and sweet as she was didn't really have an adventurous spirit and at the other end Marah and Kapri were far too young for him not to mention a tad too materialistic for his taste. Rose was pretty and smart but too hung up on logical things. A soft smile came to his face as he thought about the blonde girl who sat by his side and listened to him the first night he was here. She didn't think he was silly for believing that the story of Animaria was true. Since he had arrived she always tried to explain things he didn't understand and it wasn't just for him she looked after her entire family like a rock they could all lean on.

"Taylor" he whispered

Adler's eyes lit up but he maintained his façade and said what he knew he must

"Hmmm…not my first choice but if you like her then why not?"

"I…I should talk to her," Cole exclaimed with a determined look on his face that made Adler panic

"Not yet," he said quickly

"But why?"

"Spend some time with her, get to know her a little better then ease into the subject, understood?"

"Yes uncle, I think I got it, thanks for your advice," he replied happily before turning back to his papers. Adler leaned back in his chair and sighed with relief. That was too close it was ridiculous sometimes how Cole's stupidity could unsettle the most carefully laid plans with such ease.

Not far off time had caught up with Taylor and she was forced to begin her descent back into the real world. Moving slower this time around she savoured her last few moments of freedom before she had to return to the chaos back home. With a bright smile on her face she left the woods and steered herself back on to the road that led to her house.

As she strolled along humming in time to the tunes playing in her ear she stopped short when she saw a figure jogging towards her. It was a rare sight to see anyone but street racers on these old roads, most people preferred the new highways and city runners usually stuck to the park. As the figure drew nearer she froze unsure if she should move forward and turn around and run.

Dressed casually in a faded red T-shirt and a pair of tracks accompanied by sneakers with earphones plugged into his ears was none other than Eric Myers. His eyes widened when he saw Taylor standing by the side a road and throwing all caution and disturbing thoughts to wind he slowed down to stop.

"Taylor," he acknowledged with a smile

Taken aback by his sudden politeness she hesitated before smiling back at him.

"Eric," she replied. "What are you doing here?"

"A little birdy told me that this was the best route for a morning run, so I thought I'd check it out. Shouldn't you be taking it easy though?" his eyes dropped to her injured ankle.

Her eyes widened as she recalled the conversation they had that nigh he sat up with her when she told him about her favourite running route. She shifted her ankle uncomfortable under his gaze before replying.

"My ankle's fine, just a little stiff. Just thought I'd give it a work out. Have to be in shape before I head back to base."

His eyes darkened at the mention of her leaving but he composed himself quickly and inclined his head to one side in understanding. The two of them looked at each other awkwardly both at the edge of saying something but neither daring to speak first.

The roar of an engine tore through the silence forcing the two to step away from each other and turn just as a black and blue Lamborghini came speeding round the bend and came to screeching halt beside the two runners.

"Hey Earhardt, you want to take that spin we were talking about?"

* * *

><p>That's it for now, I hope you enjoyed it. I couldn't help myself I just had to throw in a little Eric Taylor, hope you guys liked it. Please Review and let me know what you think.

Till next time…


	18. Telling Tales

Hey, thanks so much for all your reviews and messages. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story.

Here's the next chapters…

**Chapter 18: **_**Telling Tales**_

"Hey Earhardt, you want to take that spin we were talking about?"

Both Eric and Taylor's eyes widened when Lucas Kendall stuck his head out of the window, a bright grin on his face and eyes focused solely on Taylor. Shaking herself out of her semi-shocked state she turned to Eric only to be met with his retreating back as he jogged down the direction he had come.

"Well?" Lucas asked pushing his glasses over his head

Taylor shrugged and since she was in no hurry to get home she hurried over to the other side and slipped into the passenger seat.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked not looking the least bit sorry

"No" she replied sternly locking her seat belt in place. "Drive"

"Hold on," he smirked as he slipped his shades back in to place and rolled up his window before speeding down the empty street.

"I can't believe it!" Lucas exclaimed as he and Taylor leaned against the hood of his car parked in the clearing by the lookout at the top of the hill.

"We were…you didn't…but…how?"

Taylor threw her head back and laughed. Lucas had put on his best show and sped up the hill as fast as he could push his car but failed in comparison to the speeds she was used to.

"Buddy, if that's the best you can do, you have a lot of work cut out if you want to play in the big leagues," she smiled

"Hey, I was a speed demon out there, I've had girls screaming in the passenger seat when I take it up that high. You're… well you're just weird."

"Oh…is that so…did they also hold on to you as if their lives depended on it?" she asked with a taunting smirk

"Of course they…" he started off with a smirk before stopping short as he realised what he was saying.

"Hey!" he exclaimed while she enjoyed a good laugh. "What do you know about racing anyway?" he mumbled folding his arms and pouting but only succeeded in making her laugh even more.

"You're not like other girls, are you?" he asked softly as he straightened up.

"I hope that question's rhetorical," she answered a little taken back

He smiled and stepped away from the car shoving his hands in his pockets.

"It's a compliment," he assured her. " I've met a lot of girls but believe me none of them have had the stomach for anything faster than a casual cruise nor do they dish it out like you do."

"Maybe you just haven't met the right kind of girls?" she said unsure of where this conversation was going.

"Maybe" he shrugged still looking away from her

"So, whose your favourite racer?" he asked suddenly spinning back to face her

"Huh?"

"You said you watched a little?"

"I do, you sure change subjects quickly, don't you?"

Lucas shrugged in reply and gave her a shy smile.

"So who is it?"

"I think Ronny Robinson is pretty cool, she seems to know what she's doing."

"Of course you would pick the chick" he said sighing dramatically

"Dude it's the 21st century, move on"

"No one says dude anymore," he pointed out

"It seemed like something you would understand," she shrugged

"Really now," he smirked

"So did you always want to be a racer?" she asked after a slightly awkward pause.

"Nah, I wanted to be a doctor." He said proudly.

"A doctor huh? Why do I find that hard to believe?" she said as she regarded him for a moment. Lucas didn't strike her as the studious, serious type. In fact, if she had to guess she would have pegged him as a cocky jock strolling down the hallways of his high school with his posse behind him flirting with cheerleaders and picking on nerds. Pretty stereotypical of her but that was just the picture Lucas painted.

"It's true was gonna do it too. Had all the right grades and was this close to making it to med school," he held up this thumb and index finger to prove his point.

"What happened?"

"It was too expensive for me," he said softly lowering his head a bit

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "But if you'd been planning it for a while, why didn't you apply for a scholarship?"

"It was too late," he affirmed

"Sorry, but you lost me"

Lucas sighed and turned away from her walking towards the railing that ran along the edge of the lookout.

"I told you about my dad working for Mr. Myers, right?"

"Yeah"

"Well, we were pretty well off but my mum left us when I was three and my dad passed away when I was six."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she interrupted.

Lucas turned his head to face her with an appreciative smile before turning away as he continued.

"So basically all our money got tied up till I turned 18. That's when Mr. Myers, Eric's dad took me in. He took over responsibility for my education and even set up a trust fund of sorts for me when I mentioned that I would like to be a doctor someday."

Lucas deep breath and hesitated

"You don't have to tell me this," Taylor assured. "If it's too personal we can just let it go"

He didn't turn back this time but continued his story, she had given him an out but this was something he had to get out.

"It's okay, I trust you. Besides it's something I think you should know as well." He paused for a moment and then picked up where he left off.

"So… two years later Mr. and Mrs. Myers were killed in a plane crash. As per his will the estate still took care of my schooling however, when it came to college Eric, who had taken over by then denied that such a fund existed. The money my own father had left me wasn't enough for the long run and I was so sure of the money Mr. Myers had promised, which I fully intended to return once I started earning, I didn't apply for a scholarship. And once Eric pulled the rug from under me it was too late to apply for one."

"That's terrible, I never would have thought he was capable of something like that."

"Yeah well, I was there so, it's not that hard to believe"

"So you just gave up on your dream then?"

"Oh no. I invested my dad's money in this racing thing. I've always been a good driver and I figured I could make a few quick bucks then go back to school and do what I've always wanted. But once I got behind the wheel I was hooked and well as they say the rest is history."

"Fair enough but still I don't get why Eric would deny his father's wishes like that. It's a little disgraceful if you ask me."

"If it is, it's not up to me to decide what's to be done. It was all rather informal so there was no question of getting lawyers involved, not that I could afford them anyways. And it really made no sense to make a big deal out of it. I mean who would side with me against Eric. Besides he just had an entire business dumped on his head I didn't want something like this to make him fall in front of his dad's old partners. Believe me those old coots can be quite the vultures. I had too much respect for his father to let that happen."

Taylor couldn't help but be slightly impressed. If what Lucas had just told her was true then it would appear that he wasn't as shallow and self-absorbed that she had expected him to be. There was a silent nobility in a teenager being able to display that kind of maturity. But still there was something bothering her…

"I'm sorry, it's just that I really can't see why Eric would do that," she questioned

"People can do crazy things when they're jealous."

"Jealous?" Taylor jerked her head up staring at her companion's back. "What would he be jealous off? No offence" she added as an afterthought.

"None taken," Lucas replied but still refused to look at her as he spoke. "Not a lot of people know of this but after my father past Mr. Myers took me under his wing, he treated me like his own son and Eric definitely didn't like that. He's always been the competitive type and he's great at manipulating people."

"Competitive I can understand but I would have never pegged him the type for petty jealousy or someone to hold a grudge so long."

But even as the words left her mouth her thoughts drifted to a conversation she had with the man in question not too long ago. "Forgiveness and second chances are definitely not my strong suit." That was what he said but by that logic Lucas would have had to have done something to affront him unless Eric really was petty enough to let childhood jealousy cloud his judgement.

Taylor looked up at her companion who was still resolutely turned away from her. She wondered if the man standing before her was telling her the truth. She barely knew him and had no reason to trust him and sure whatever was going on between him and Eric was none of her business but she couldn't help but be curious. While she found Eric's personality infuriating there was something about him that intrigued her, like a character in one of her books that broke away from regular patterns and had so many dimensions that you just had to know more. Lucas had just given Eric a new dimension and she found herself struggling to place it in the larger picture.

"What about Madison…how does she fit into all of this?"

Lucas finally turned to her and shrugged

"Maddie? She's his sister…there's not really much to say about her. Since she was born she's been treated like a little princess and even after her parents died Eric made sure that her lifestyle didn't change, no matter what he had to sacrifice."

"Well that does sound more like him," Taylor mused

"Yeah well, it sure didn't do her a lot of good. All that attention, the glitz and glamour really went to her head. When we were kids she used to call me her brother, the last time I visited she pretended not to recognize me. She was as stuck up and proud as the rest of them. She's pretty and talented and has had the best of everything but as a person…well…she's …difficult."

"Wow, the way Kimberley and Leelee go on about her you would've though she was the eighth wonder of the world."

"Have you met Kimberly and Leelee?"

"Point. If she's exactly as you described her it's no wonder the Stepford sisters love her so much."

"Stepford sisters?"

"It's what I've dubbed Kimberly and Leelee," she blushed

"Well it the shoe fits…," Lucas laughed as he re-joined her by the hood of his car.

Taylor laughed along with him as she looked up at the sky.

"You've definitely made my head spin today," she mumbled

"That was the plan all along ," he teased. "Though this wasn't quite the way I intended to do it."

She smiled at him softly as a million things flashed through her mind.

"You still don't believe me, do you?"

She looked at him and then turned down to look at her feet.

"It's that I don't believe you. Honestly I've been around him long enough to believe that most of what you've said is plausible."

"But?"

"But there's something that just doesn't seem right"

"And what might that be?"

"Wes"

"Wes?"

"Uh huh. Wes and Eric are so different and if what you said is true I really don't see the two of them being so close."

"Taylor, Wes is Eric's cousin. And honestly I have never met the guy only seen him from afar. But I've heard about him and yes he is the kind hearted and charming guy that everyone says he is but he is also naïve and gullible. And Eric, Eric is a master of behaving in just the right manner. He can be the most charming person you've ever met when the need arises. Also Wes is not just family to him, he may not be as wealthy but is definitely amongst the crème-de-la crème of high society and as is with the wealthy they treat their equals with respect."

"I guess," she murmured. "Logically it all makes sense but…but you know what this is none of my business. Eric, Wes and the whole lot of them can go jump of a cliff for all I care." She said determinedly. She had already gotten way to involved in all of this, if Jen and Wes decided to do something about their mutual attraction to each other she would figure out what she needed to do till then the Collinses and Myers had nothing to do with her and she was going to respect the fact that whatever skeletons they had it was none of her business. At least that's what she told herself.

"That's the spirit," said Lucas. "So you want to grab a bite or shall I take you home?"

"Hmmm let's see. Grab a bite or go home for a lecture on the amazing Lady Pimvare," she mused holding her hands out like scales for emphasis. "That's a tough one, but considering that I'm starving right now I'm gonna go with option A."

"As you wish," Lucas smiled waving his hand towards the car.

"Actually Mr. Kendall I believe we had a deal," she said holding her hand out for his keys.

"And here I thought you'd forgotten about that," he said glumly but dropped his keys into her waiting palm all the same.

"C'mon slowpoke I'm going to show you the real meaning of flooring it."

* * *

><p>Hope you guys enjoyed that. I'm not sure it I did Wickham's story justice but I'll let you be the judge of that.<p>

Comments…Suggestions…Criticism…Please review and let me know what you think.

Till next time….


	19. Party Promises

Hey there, thanks soo much for all your reviews and messages. Really sorry about the delay but I just haven't had the time to write.

For now here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 19: **_**Party Promises**_

"You are insane!" Lucas exclaimed as he had Taylor sat down at a booth in the Clock Tower Café.

Once behind the wheel she sped down the road so fast that Lucas had to dig his nails into his seat to steady himself. Even after she'd slowed down once they'd entered the city it took him a while to recuperate and stay steady on his feet.

"Aw… c'mon don't blame me because you're such a wus," she smiled

"How did you even do that?" he asked completely perplexed

"I probably should have mentioned that I'm a pilot."

"What does that have to do with anything? Wait…do you fly your plane like a maniac…are you even allowed to do that?"

"Fighter pilot," she affirmed

"Oh…well that explains it," he said slapping his hand on the table and leaning back into his seat.

"Are you done being a drama queen?"

"I still can't believe you drive like that."

"Believe it," said their waiter as he handed them a pair of menus. "She's even got the speeding tickets to prove it."

"Thanks Trip," she said with a smile after the two had placed their order.

"Hey, so I've been meaning to ask you something," said Lucas after taking a sip of water.

"Shoot," Taylor leaned forward on her elbows.

"You mentioned a Lady Pimvare earlier, did you… by any chance… mean Necrolai Pimvare?" he asked hesitantly.

"That's the one"

"This may sound kinda weird but how well do you know her?"

Taylor raised as eyebrow at his question but answered him all the same.

"I don't really know her it's more like know of her. Didn't know she existed till a few days ago."

It was now Lucas' turn to raise an eyebrow.

"So, she's basically the benefactor for an old friend of my dad's who's currently visiting. His nephew sure seems to think the world of her. Why the sudden interest?"

"You really don't know who she is do you?"

"Should I?"

"She's Eric's aunt," he said matter-of-factly.

Taylor gulped down the water she was drinking and stared at her companion.

"Seriously?"

"Well technically she was a friend of his mom's, so she's not his aunt by blood or anything like that. But she looked after him and Maddie for a while after their parents died and has always been close to the family. She has a very beautiful daughter, Camille I think. And as far as I know the plan was for Eric to marry her… or something like that."

"I see," she replied with a smirk as she found herself wondering if Leelee would appeal to the idea of Camille Pimvare marrying her cousin.

"Jungle boy…I mean Cole and his uncle speak very highly of them but I'm more likely to believe that their nothing more than stuck up ol' coots."

"And I would agree with you. Having actually met Lady Pimvare I can say for sure she's a terror to be around. You have sit, stand, walk, talk and eat correctly if you want to live in peace. Honestly it's like the woman is living in the middle ages or something."

"Well high society does have its price."

"In that case may I never have to pay it."

"Hear, hear"

When Taylor finally got home later that afternoon it was in high spirits only to be met with the sight of the Collinses' car in her driveway.

"There you are," her mother shrieked as soon as she walked through the door despite the fact that Mr. Collins, Wes and Leelee were seated in the parlour along with Dr. Adler and her father.

"And where have you been? Dressed like that on top of it!," she gestured to Taylor's tracks and sweatshirt."

"Sorry mum, I went for a run and lost track of time," she apologized.

"Not a problem dear," voiced from the parlour. "Allan, Wes and Leelee are here to invite us personally to the inaugural gala for the Silver Guardians," he explained.

"Oh, wow…uh…thank you," she said uncertainly

"Don't be silly dear, just make sure you're there," said Mr. Collins.

"Don't worry she will be, we all will," answered.

"We look forward to seeing you there then, but I'm afraid we must take our leave for now," Mr Collins stood and Wes and Leelee followed suit.

"It was nice to meet you Dr. Adler," said Mr. Collins as she shook the man's hand. "And I'm glad I got to meet at least one of your girls," he said looking at Taylor on his way to the door. She just smiled in reply and watched the trio leave before racing up the stairs to her room.

When Jen got home she found Taylor lounging on her bed with a book open in front of her. While this was not altogether a rare sight usually her nose was buried in the book instead of staring into space.

"What's up? You look a little lost."

"Oh... hey Jen"

Jen gave her sister an amused glance before she dumped her bag on her own bed walked over to perch on the edge of Taylor's.

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong or do we have to play a game of cat and mouse before I get anything out of you?" she asked as she slipped off her heels and flexed her toes.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor quizzed as she moved to sit up on the bed.

"Tay, I know you well enough to know when something's whizzing around your head to the point of frustration. So spill I'm too tired for games tonight."

Taylor watched as she sister made herself comfortable and waited patiently for her to speak. Her discussion with Lucas and thrown her head into a whirl, she was confused and not sure what she should believe at the moment. And talking to Jen would probably help her sought out her muddled thoughts but…

While she had firmly decided that whatever skeletons lay between Eric, Lucas and even Wes for that matter was none of her business and that she had no right to interfere or comment on their situation Jen's association and growing affection for Wes pulled her sister right into this giant mess.

"I had a very strange conversation today," she said finally

"With Lucas Kendall?"

"How did you…"

"Leelee called me earlier demanding to know what your relationship with Lucas is. Apparently she saw him drop you off at the house in the afternoon still in your jogging attire so it seems," Jen explained with a playful smirk.

Taylor scowled at her sister before pushing herself off the bed and walking towards the window.

"Don't get any ideas," she warned. "He just gave me a lift"

"I told Leelee that you'd just met him and that you didn't really have a relationship with him as such. Was I lying?"

"Of course not"

"Tay!"

"What?... I ran into him earlier in the day and he gave me a lift. We talked, grabbed a bite and that's it end of story. It's no different from me hanging out with Sky or Mike."

"Sky and Mike are practically your brothers and you've known them for years. You've only just met Lucas and I know he's good looking and charming and all that but you don't really know him. And…"

"Where exactly are you going with this Jen?" she asked anger rising in her voice. She did not appreciate her sister jumping to conclusions. "I don't know what you new pal Leelee told you but all he did was drop me off. Yes we hung out for most of the morning but that doesn't mean I'm going to be swooning after him. You know me better than that."

"Taylor that's not what I meant," Jen tried to assure her sister

"It sure sounded like it"

"Taylor I just want you to be careful. You spent most of the day with a guy you barely know and clearly he's said or done something that's upset you."

"Jen he hasn't upset me," she sighed trying her best to calm down, getting mad at her sister was not going to do either of them any good. "He's just given me a lot to think about"

"Do you like him?"

"Jen!" Taylor exclaimed facing her sister with a harsh stare

"Taylor, there's no denying that he's had some kind of effect on"

"He's definitely got to my head I'll give you that but…I don't know he's something of an enigma. He seemed sincere enough when we talked today but…"

Jen laughed as she watched her sister describe a situation she had never been in before and one she very clearly didn't understand. Taylor on other had stopped mid-sentence and fixed her sister with a mock glare which quickly turned into a smirk.

"Since we're on the subject, where are things with you and Wes? He seemed awfully disappointed that you weren't at home this afternoon"

Jen stopped laughing as her face turned five shades of red but before she could say anything the door burst open as their three younger sisters barged into the room albeit Rose was being dragged in by Marah.

"Did you two hear?" Kapri screeched "There's going to be a gala this weekend"

"We know Kapri, could you lower the volume please," Taylor remarked in a bored voice as she sank into her desk chair.

Kapri scowled at her before turning her attention completely to Jen ignoring Taylor. As talk of dressed and shoes, fabrics and colours filled the room Taylor turned to window and looked up at the sky. She hadn't be able to say anything to Jen after all but maybe it was for the best. The advent of the gala meant that Wes would be leaving soon so sooner or later Jen and he would have to give up dancing around each other and either get together or end whatever it was they had going on. She would just have to wait and see what happened.

As the days passed by excitement for the upcoming gala had overtaken the Earhardt household. Even Rose who preferred more subdued occasions was looking forward to it.

"Just think about how many important people will be there," she told Taylor one evening. "I heard Mrs. Truman telling mother that Mr. Collins has invited a number of celebrated academicians as well. I can't wait to meet them all. Though it wouldn't hurt to indulge in a dance or two, don't you think?"

Taylor smiled in amusement when she noticed Rose's eyes flickering to a certain person who was sitting at the other end of the room listening intently to their mother. Speaking of said brunette Cole had been acting rather strangely, well stranger than what they had become accustomed to, since the afternoon Mr. Collins had delivered the invite.

He made it a point to sit next to her at every meal and tried desperately to engage her in conversation. But as her own thoughts had been far too muddled the past few days she only half listened to what he said and only nodded at frequent intervals. If Cole noticed that she was not paying any attention to him, he said nothing.

As hard as she tried to let go of all the intense discussions she had become a part of recently they still came back to cloud her thoughts. Even as she wondered how she got mixed up in all of this there was one particular detail from her talk with Jen that afternoon that stuck out.

Why would Leelee Collins be interested in her connection with Lucas Kendall?

* * *

><p>That's it for now…next up is the Netherfield ball or at least my version of it.<p>

Please Review and let me know what you think of this chapter.

Till next time…


	20. Ballroom Blitzkrieg

Hey guys,

Happy New Year! Here's wishing all of you a fabulous year ahead

Thanks so much for all your reviews and messages. I'm excited about the chapter though I'm not sure it turned out as well as I thought. I hope you enjoy it though. There a few explanations at the end of the chap but I'll get back to that later.

For now here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 20: **_**Ballroom Blitzkrieg**_

Eric stood in a corner of the ballroom that his uncle had rented out for the opening gala. He really didn't think that something like this was necessary but as his uncle explained if the Silver Guardians were going to sustain themselves in Turtle Cove they would need local investors and that it was important that they interact with the people of the city and not stay aloof.

The ballroom was lit up and abuzz as an array of tunes beat out of the speakers while guests – ranging from the elegantly dressed to flashy explosions - mulled around chattering away as they marveled at the décor. Eric stifled a yawn as he watched Wes in his tuxedo twirling Leelee who was decked in a swirling black gown on the dance floor. Kimberly stood gracefully in a pink halter dress, her arm resting on her husband's arm as she spoke to Colonel and Mrs. Truman while his uncle was locked in a steady conversation with Mayor Kruger.

Eric watched as an attendant hurried up to his uncle and whispered something in his ear to which he nodded and gestured to the Mayor and led him to the platform where a podium had been set up in front of a large banner with Silver Guardian's emblem boldly emblazoned on it. He caught his uncle's eye and nodded. It was show time. As he turned back to find Wes he found his cousin standing in the middle of the floor slack jawed as his eyes fixed on something in the distance. Curious Eric followed his cousin's line of sight and smirked when he saw that it was not something that was responsible for his cousin's predicament but rather someone.

Jen Earhardt had just stepped through the doors behind her father. She was dressed in a figure hugging dark pink, tube dress that fell to her ankles with a white lace shrug and a slim matching sash belt. She stood a few inches taller in her heeled pumps and had finished off her look by pulling her hair back into a bun adorning it with a pale pink flower. Eric had to admit she did look beautiful but just as he was about to shake his head at his cousin's stupidity his own eyes went wide.

Walking in behind her sister – though it took him a minute to recognize her – was Taylor her eyes scanning every inch before she turned to her family and smiled. She wore a single strap yellow dress that fanned out slightly at the skirt and fell just above her knees with broad white belt around her waist that matched her ankle boots. Her hair that was usually left to its own devices was pulled back in a sleek bun with a few strands left to frame her face. A simple outfit, especially when compared to the rest of the women in the room but at this moment she outshined them all.

"Eric… we're ready….Eric?...Eric!"

"What?... Sorry about that Mike, let me grab Wes and I'll be there"

Mike stared after him as Eric stalked straight towards Wes and pulled him towards the platform by the elbow. In all the time he had known the man he never seen him so dazed in public. He was always so in control and aware of what was going on around him that it was scary. He turned in the direction Eric had been looking at but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. With a shrug he made his way to where his squad was waiting for him.

Taylor smiled as she walked into the ballroom with her family, the Collinses had really out done themselves or at least their decorator had. The entire room echoed of the guardians' colours but in a subtle way that made it look elegant rather than flashy and in your face.

"Wow this place looks amazing"

She turned to see Cole looking around in awe and a small smile crept on to her face. He was just like a little kid sometimes. Cole had never been to a party like this before and hence had nothing for the occasion. A little of Jen's magic was all it took and the scruffy young man she had come to know stood before her dressed in a simple red dress shirt under a dinner jacket accompanied by a pair of slacks and some sleek and shiny shoes. He was relaxed and excited which made Taylor was glad that Dr. Adler had decided to stay home, Cole deserved to have some fun.

Before long all the guests had been ushered in front of the platform where a squadron of guardians stood at attention in their uniforms. Mr. Collins stood behind the podium preparing to address the audience while Eric and Wes stood to his right and Mayor Kruger, Mike Corbett and a man Taylor didn't recognize stood to his left. Kimberley, Tommy and Leelee stood in the wings on one side while Mrs. Kruger and her two sons took the other.

Taylor leaned in to say something to her sister but smirked when she realized that Jen wasn't paying attention. She and Wes had caught each other's eyes over the crowd and neither one made any move to look away. Taylor chuckled under her breath before her eyes swept over the platform, catching Mike's gaze she gave him a supportive smile.

"Mr. Grouchy looks good up there, doesn't he?" she heard Kapri whisper to Marah and she turned once again to regard Eric.

Her breath caught in her throat and for a moment she had to remind herself to breathe. He stood tall in his black tuxedo with a crimson tie and his hair left untamed. If he was nervous it didn't show, he looked as confident and in control as ever. Despite the volatile nature of her opinions of the man she had to admit he looked good up there, in fact to take a leaf out of Kapri's book…he looked hot…not that it made any difference to her.

He turned and their eyes locked, blue orbs widened slightly as everything Lucas had told her rushed to the forefront of her mind and a furious blush crept into her cheeks. A gentle nudge to her side made her aware of Cole's presence next to her and she turned towards him, grateful for the distraction.

For his part Eric too had noticed Jen and Wes smiling at each other over the crowd as his uncle stepped up to the podium. Shifting his gaze slightly to the woman standing next to Jen his smirk vanished when he saw her smiling up at someone on the platform and it quickly turned into a frown when he realized it was Mike when he smiled back at her. He turned back and his eyes locked with hers, he saw her cheeks turn red and his frown turned to a growl when he saw the man standing next to her lean in to whisper something.

As she turned away he clenched his fist and mentally berated himself for getting worked up so easily. He had been over this with himself but clearly avoiding the problem had done nothing to sort out his turbulent feelings. His rage had taken over when he saw Lucas the other morning when he casually offered Taylor lift but when he calmed down he wasn't sure what exactly he had been mad at. As his uncle's voice boomed over the microphone he made a silent decision about what he was going to do next.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight. As my nephew has already instructed me all that had to be said was said at the demonstration earlier this week, so I'm not going to bore you with a long winded speech."

He chuckled along with the audience and smiled at Eric who returned it with a wry one of his own.

"I am aware that this not the usual protocol for occasions like this but I decided I wanted to have the first word and after all this is just a party for friends… old and new."

He paused while his audience chuckled once more before continuing.

"But we can't forget that tonight is also about business or rather community. The Silver Guardians, have already established themselves in Silver Hills and Angel Grove helping the police keep crime at bay and offering security services where needed. They've been a rounding success so far and we're happy to share this success with Turtle Cove by establishing a new unit right here in your beautiful city. And for that I have to thank Mayor Kruger for allowing us this opportunity and for his unyielding support every step of the way."

He paused and nodded towards the Mayor who returned it with a smile and a nod of his own while the audience applauded politely.

"As I said earlier I will not bore you with tenacious details that have already been covered and will be done so once again tomorrow morning at the press conference. However if you have any questions for us please feel free to corner anyone of us. Before I invite you to join us in an evening of merry making I would like to introduce the two men who will be heading things off. Senior Commander Stanton whose credentials do not disappoint and Field Commander Mike Corbett who I am told needs very little introduction in these parts."

The audience burst into applause as the two men in question stood at attention and nodded towards them. After which Mayor Kruger took the podium and said his piece thanking Mr. Collins and reaffirming his confidence in Commander Stanton and Mike before repeating Mr. Collins' invitation for everyone to have a good time.

"That should have been you up there," Mr. Collins whispered to Eric as they stepped of the platform.

"We've discussed this Uncle Alan, its better this way, for now," he replied

"I'm starting to doubt that son, but I'll let it go this time. We will talk about it later though. Make sure you have some fun tonight."

"Yes sir," Eric mumbled as he accepted the glass of champagne he was served and made a beeline for his favourite place at these shindigs – the balcony.

As the crowd dispersed, some to the dance floor others heading for the buffet table or just milling around talking Taylor set off in search of Alyssa with Cole hot on her heels. Kimberly had swooped in on Jen dragging her away from an irate Katie to introduce her to some of her friends who had flown in for the event. Marah and Kapri didn't waist anytime in acquiring a dance partner and heading straight to the dance floor while Rose wandered off on her own.

"Wow Tay, you really pulled out the stops today," Alyssa exclaimed. "You look beautiful"

Taylor looked away embarrassed by her friend's words. She had indeed put more effort into getting ready for the gala but she was still battling with the reason for it.

"Indeed she does"

Taylor smiled at Cole who gave her his trademark boyish grin.

"Thanks Cole," she mumbled before introducing him to Alyssa who smiled politely as she spoke to him finding his childish antics very amusing. Taylor stood back as Cole launched into one sided conversation with Alyssa who nodded in attention with a sweet smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of two familiar faces. Surprised she excused herself from the duo and walked away.

"Blake, Tori," she called out as she got closer

"Taylor," Tori exclaimed excitedly when she saw the other girl. "I'm so glad to see you, I feel like a fish out of water in here."

Taylor smiled, she understood that feeling all too well.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked curious

"Mr. Collins invited all the Factory Blue racers. Apparently he knows the owner and they both thought that this would be good publicity for the both of them."

"So you're boss is here too?"

"Nope, he's chilling out in Florida"

"I see," she mused as she looked around the room only just noticing some of the faces she had seen at the race track clad in their trademark dark blue blazers.

"So is…" Taylor began

"He's not here," Blake's cut her off

"Sorry?"

"Lucas, if you're looking out for him you're not going to find him"

"He said he wasn't up for it," Tori added

"That and he wanted to avoid a certain someone," Blake mumbled under his breath but it didn't do unheard by Taylor.

"That's too bad," she said instead pretending that she hadn't heard him but at the same time her head was buzzing as she wondered how much did Blake know of what Lucas and told her. Then again the two of them did work together and seemed rather close. In fact Blake probably had a better insight into the matter than she did.

She opened her mouth to ask him something but was interrupted by the arrival of Cole.

"Excuse me Taylor," he said politely taking her completely by surprise. "May I have the honour of having the next dance."

Taylor's eyes went wide as Cole bowed slightly and held out his hand. Of all the thing she had expected him to say this was not one of them.

"Aww… what a gentleman," Tori exclaimed at the display. "Go on, don't let us keep you, in fact I think we'll join you," she added to Taylor before marching towards the dance floor with Blake in tow.

Taylor looked back at Cole who was gazing up at her expectantly and shrugged before ignoring her screaming instincts and placing her hand in his.

"I suppose one dance can't hurt"

Meanwhile outside on the balcony Eric sipped his champagne slowly staring down at the finely manicured lawn that surrounded the banquet hall. He sighed in quiet relief. Things had finally been set in motion and soon he would be able to go home and leave in the Silver Guardians in Mike and Commander Stanton's capable hands.

Though he was still young, barely two years older than Eric himself, Mike had served with the army's Special Forces division for three years before he voluntarily retired. He was living in Silver Hills when Eric had first introduced the Silver Guardians project and was one of their first recruits. Though he refused to talk about his time with the army Mike passed each and every test with flying colours.

Commander Logan, a former marine and a very close friend of his father's to whom he had entrusted the leadership of the Guardians in Silver Hills was extremely impressed with Mike's results. Eric found many similarities between Mike and himself and found himself working closely with him as the Guardians settled into the city. They eventually became good friends but like Commander Logan Eric too believed that Mike was too good to be just squad leader. However with several senior officers who outranked Mike in terms of experience it wasn't easy to give him a better position.

When they broached the subject of setting up operations in Turtle Cove, Eric immediately suggested that Mike take charge of the outfit. His uncle and Wes who had partnered up with him for the project were skeptical but Commander Logan stepped in saying that Mike was an ideal choice as Turtle Cove was his home and that would give him an advantage as well as help him bond with local recruits. In the end it was decided that Stanton would command the unit and that Mike would work under him until he learned the ropes well enough to take over.

Mike had always been a good friend to him even when he had decided he didn't need friends. But somehow having someone who understood what he was trying to do in a world filled with older men breathing down his back waiting for him to slip up was comforting and he found himself opening up to him just like he did with Wes.

That's why he felt awful at the moment. For reasons he couldn't quite comprehend and was definitely ashamed of he had been nothing but rude and as Wes described him a downright ass to Mike. He was sure the older man had picked up on it but he hadn't said anything about it yet. He wasn't mad at Mike per say but for the life of him he just couldn't let it go and what happened earlier was proof of that.

"Hey Eric"

He was wrenched out of his thoughts by the very person he was thinking about.

"Mike" he addressed the guardian as he walked up to him casting a curious glance at his companion, a pretty woman of average height with curly honey coloured locks in a chrome, savage cut dress.

"Eric, this is my fiancé Maya. Maya, Eric Myers"

"It's nice to finely meet you in person Mike's told me so much about you," she said as she shook his hand.

"I'd love to the same but I had no idea he was even dating some. Oh…and congratulations…to both of you," he said calmly not revealing his surprise

"Thanks," Mike replied as he wrapped an arm around Maya's waist. "You never really gave me a chance, we only talked about work. But the fiancé bit is recent though."

"Not really," Maya piped in. "He's just been waiting for a chance to give Taylor the news before he told any of his friends."

"Taylor?"

"Blonde spitfire, can turn grown men into crying babies with a single glare," she explained

"I know the one," Eric chuckled "Not sure I understood what you meant though"

"Who is that guy?" Mike asked suddenly with a less than happy expression on his face.

Startled by the sudden exclamation the other two looked up and turned towards the ballroom in the direction Mike was looking in to see Taylor dancing clumsily with someone neither of them had seen before.

"Does that answer your question?" Maya asked Eric as she shook her head at her fiancé's antics

"Not really"

"You see when it comes to Miss Earhardt Mike develops a sort of a… big brother complex," Maya explained

"Big brother complex?"

"Its long story," she sighed

"Mike, Mr. C's looking for you"

One of the guardians poked his head out of the room to call out to his Commander.

"C'mon let's see what he wants," Maya said sweetly before turning back to Eric.

"It was really nice meeting you Eric, hopefully we will get a chance to talk some other time, when both of you aren't so in demand."

Eric nodded and returned the sentiments before she dragged Mike away his eyes still focused on the couple dancing on the other side of the glass. A small smirk made its way to Eric's lips as he heard Maya mutter something like.

"Leave her be." And "Taylor's a big girl."

He raised his glass to his lips once again and downed the rest of the contents. He would have to talk to Mike later, if only to apologize for his uncalled for behavior. But at the moment there was something else he needed to confirm. He left the glass on the railing and marched into the room.

Taylor winced after Cole stepped on her foot yet again. When she said 'one dance wouldn't hurt' she meant one dance but Cole insisted on leading her into two more of the most painful dances she had ever participated in.

On a regular day he was a few inches shorter than her but with her wearing heels the height difference was more pronounced and that made dancing with him awkward especially because of the way he held his hands. It was quite clear that he had never danced like this before and his heavy footsteps constantly found their mark on her feet while he gripped onto her hand as if she would fall if he let go.

She had tried to persuade him to stop without raising her voice but he was enjoying himself far too much to notice and she didn't know how to get him to stop without making a scene. She was sure that they were already quite the sight and while she normally wouldn't care about what people thought, her current predicament was far too embarrassing. She caught sight of Rose's wide eyes as Cole unceremoniously whirled her around and her eyes dropped for her moment a feeling far worse than embarrassment flooding through her.

"May I cut in?"

She made a silent prayer of thanks when Cole stopped moving grateful to whoever it was that had interrupted them.

"Uh… I guess," Cole murmured unsure of what the right form of conduct was at that moment but he let go of Taylor and stepped away nonetheless.

"Th…You?"

"Me," Eric smirked down at the blonde as he held out his hand out to her.

Taylor stared up into amused dark eyes and had half a mind to stalk away from the dance floor and give Eric a taste of rejection for once. But she was well aware of all the eyes that had fallen on the two of them and sighed as she placed her hand in his. For Jen's sake she could not make a scene by refusing their host.

She gasped as he gently took her hand and pulled her closer to him placing his other arm around her waist as he did so. Completely clueless about the strange feelings running though her she slowly raised her other arm to place it on his shoulder before allowing him to lead her through the rest of the song. Taylor determinedly didn't look into his eyes and neither said a word.

As the song came to end she decided that dancing with Eric was different dancing with anyone else. He had definitely done this before and was by far a much better dance than Cole but even so for such a straight laced person he moved fluidly and gracefully and that awkward sensation that crept into her when dancing with anyone, even her own father, was nowhere in sight.

But when the song came to an end she was quick to pull away.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask for another dance?" she smirked at her

She was about to refuse but caught sight of Cole over his shoulder trying desperately to get her attention.

"I suppose one more couldn't hurt," she said looking at him straight in the eyes this time.

"Though I was wrong the first time," she commented as they started up again.

"Your previous partner must have truly awful if you would agree to dancing with someone you hate just to get away from him," he smirked

She blinked and stared at him with a startled yet curious gaze.

"Forgive me, hate is too strong a word, terribly dislike would be more appropriate"

"I… I never said that," she replied

"You didn't have to," he murmured as he spun her around before pulling her close.

Taylor stiffened as she became even more aware of the stares and the whispers that were all being directed at the two of them.

"Ignore them," he whispered in her ear and she automatically found herself relaxing in his hold. For a moment she enjoyed it, just being there with him moving in time with the music but all too soon that moment was ruined when she caught sight of Blake and Tori, the former's jacket reminding her of Lucas and everything Lucas had told her about Eric came rushing back to her.

Her stance stiffened once again but not so much that he noticed and she moved her head so that she was now looking straight at him.

"You're one to talk," she commented but didn't say anymore biting back the words that threatened to fall from her mouth. As rude and smug as he had been and even indirectly insulting her she couldn't forget the stiff yet gentle side he had shown her when tending to her injury. Once again her thoughts and the feelings that were so attached to them went for a whirl much like he was spinning her around at moment only a hundred times faster.

"Perhaps where the two of us are concerned it is best that neither of us says anything, we seem to get along better then,"

"But where's the fun in that," she replied immediately despite herself.

He smiled slightly at her reply and continued to lead her across the floor as they moved into the next song looking each other in the eye neither one relenting or showing any sign of giving way to the other. Taylor matched him step for step moving with ease and grace she didn't know she was capable of and despite all her reservations she refuse to back down. As much as she wanted to clear up her muddled thoughts she would not let the man before her win the game he had started.

Not once did Eric believe that he would easily obtain the answers he was looking for but in that moment a simple dance morphed into a battle of wills. But he never imagined it would be like this and in spite of that he was as determined and intrigued as ever. Everything and everyone in the room dissolved into nothingness it was just two of them their movements like those of warriors circling each other before the joust.

"Oops…I'm so sorry,"

A plump woman with red tinted cheeks barreled into them knocking Taylor to the side forcing her to break out of Eric's hold to steady herself. The woman's partner rushed in after her to add his apologies but the moment was lost.

"You two make such a lovely couple," the woman slurred as her partner very aware of the dark glare that both were fixing upon them dragged her away.

Eric sighed when they were finally free of the woman and held out his hand to Taylor once again. This time she didn't hesitate to offer him her own. But when Blake and Tori twirled past them the former's eyes were narrowed in a harsh glare that gave her an uncomfortable feeling.

"What was that about?" Eric asked not even attempting to hide the harshness of his tone.

"Blake is a very good friend of Lucas," she replied before she could stop herself

"And Lucas is…?" He left the question hanging but she was not about to let him get his way.

"Are we really going to pretend that you don't know that Lucas and I have talked and that the two of you have… history," she snapped at him trying very hard to keep her voice low.

Eric pursed his lips, that was not the answer he was looking for and as he couldn't tell if she missed the meaning of his question or purposefully avoided it. He decided to let it go for the moment.

"Lucas can be… no most definitely is a very charming person, it doesn't take him long to make new friends, keeping them however is completely different story."

If Taylor was taken aback by his answer she didn't show it and shot back a remark of her own.

"From what I hear, he failed to keep you as a friend I'm sure that is something he must regret"

"I won't deny that Lucas and I have history as you rightly put it. But as for the matter of us being friends… that would be a matter of perspective. I have no inclination as to what he has told you or your association with Mr. Kendall and irrespective of which I see no reason to absolve myself of whatever picture his words may have painted of me"

The emphasis on his final words signaled the end of that discussion and Taylor saw no need to pursue it. This was not the time or place for that kind of discussion. His grip on her hand tightened and she could tell he was disturbed by the subject and resolved to let him make the next move.

They continued to move in time with the music but this time both looked pointedly away from each other. Eric wasn't sure if he wanted to continue this anymore he was not getting anywhere with the answers had sought in the first place and then talking about Lucas… the subject of Lucas Kendall always set him off but as he eased his grip on Taylor's hand he realized that the two were in fact acquainted and that words had been shared it could not be avoided altogether not where someone like Taylor was concerned.

"When we first met…"

He turned sharply to look at her, she was speaking barely above a whisper refusing to meet his eyes, something so unlike her, but he heard every word.

"I didn't know what to make of you I just assumed you were this spoilt brat. But after a point I found something similar between you and me or at least in the way we work or think."

"How so?"

"We're both of an unsocial, taciturn disposition and refuse to speak unless we expect to say something that will amaze our audience. That and we have very similar reaction when it comes to our siblings."

"I…"

"But at the same time I've heard so many different accounts of you that I am extremely puzzled and unbelievably confused."

"That would depend on whose accounts you have heard, I do not claim to behave in the same manner with everyone."

"I've seen that" she murmured quietly

"I know it's not really any of my business but…"

They stopped moving and stepped away from each other as the song died down and applauded along with everyone else as the DJ announced a short break.

"You're right," he whispered before turning away from her "It is none of your business."

That's it for now. This chapter was getting kinda long so I decided to split up the Netherfield episode into two parts. Hope you enjoyed.

Sorry about the crappy speech I didn't want to make it sound too formal or too literal.

So, I've been getting a lot of question about the bits about Taylor and Mike and Taylor and Sky. I've tried to clear that up in this chapter and will do so more clearly in an upcoming chapter. But what I'm trying to establish is that someone with Taylor's personality is more likely to have more close relationship with guys like Mike and Sky who think along similar lines (referring to cannon) especially with four other sisters. So in this story they're just really good friends who kind of see her as their sister.

If there's anything else that isn't too clear drop me a line and I'll sort it out.

Please Review and let me know what you think.

Till next time…


	21. Ex-factors

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all your reviews and messages.

This is the second half of the Netherfield Ball with a little twist. I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 21: **_** Ex- factors**_

"You're right," he whispered before turning away from her "It is none of your business."

On that note they parted, neither one satisfied with the outcome of the exercise. To both it seemed that whenever they were together for too long an argument reared its head, but still there was a distinct feeling that nagged at the both willfully disallowing them to leave the other be.

Taylor was angry at Eric for being such a pain and not being straight with her, with Lucas for dragging her into whatever it was she had been dragged into and most of all with herself for not being able to let all of this go and separate herself from it entirely.

It was at this moment while she was engrossed in silently fuming over everything that was raging through her mind that Leelee Collins looped her arm through hers and pulled her long for a little stroll along the room.

"Was there something you wanted?" she asked not hiding her dislike at being herded around the room like a puppy. But Leelee was either oblivious or she ignored the hostility and continued with what she had come to say.

"I couldn't help but notice that you put a lot more thought into your appearance for tonight. Was there someone you were hoping to impress?" she paused and sent a thoughtful glance around the room completely ignoring Taylor's raised eyebrow.

"Let's see if I can guess," Leelee continued. "Was it that odd gentleman you were dancing with earlier… Cole I believe his name was."

Taylor scoffed, as silly as she thought Leelee's little game was the idea of her trying to impress Cole Evans was laughable.

"No… well I guess not , I don't think it would take much to impress that one."

Taylor pursed her lips at Leelee's remark, while she herself didn't think too much of Cole she understood that it wasn't really his fault he was the way he was and whatever the reason it did not give Leelee the right to look down on him.

"Was it Mike Corbett then or maybe Sky… though they both seem to be taken tonight."

Taylor rolled her eyes at that comment, people really needed to get it their head that Mike and Sky were her friends, okay so they weren't just friends but more like brothers than anything else. Not to mention they both had girlfriends… well fiancé in Mike's case now.

"So that's a negative too then…alright give me a hint."

When Taylor failed to reply with anything other than a blank look Leelee turned to her with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Maybe that someone isn't here then… I wonder could it perhaps be a certain B grade racer…one Lucas Kendall maybe."

Taylor stopped much to Leelee's pleasure. That name was really starting to take its toll on her.

"It seems I've hit the mark…yes?"

"Why would you say that?" she replied well aware that she was walking into Leelee's trap but her curiosity about Leelee's interest in Lucas and her won over.

"Come on Taylor, don't play dumb with me. We both he dropped you off at your house the other day, in interesting attire if I might add," Leelee smiled with a smug look on her face. "Plus your sister tells me that you had quite the reaction when she brought up the subject later and that you are very curious about him. So tell me Miss Earhardt am I right in assuming that you have become rather fond of Lucas?"

"He's just a friend," Taylor replied silently cursing her sister's big mouth.

"Honey we've heard that one before. Just a friendly warning though, he's not all that he appears to be. Did he for instance tell you that he was the son of a clerk working for my Uncle. Despite all that the family has always been so nice to him. But he has been the most terrible creature for it. I don't know the particulars of what it was that he did but it was…"

Taylor had enough, she wrenched her arm free from the other and turned to face her.

"Thank you for your concern, but as for whatever relationship I have with Lucas or lack thereof it is none of your business, so really there is no need for you to interfere," she snapped.

"I was only trying to help…" Leelee sputtered completely taken aback by Taylor's reaction

"I don't care, I don't need your help. Thank you but I would prefer it if you kept your opinions to yourself."

She stalked away from Leelee but left her with a few final words

"Oh…by the way, being the son of a clerk, that's not really a crime now, is it?"

Leaving behind the wide eyed Collins Taylor set off in search of her meddlesome sister. She needed to have a few words with her elder sister about what she shared with her new friends. She spotted her target on Wes's arm talking to Katie and her date. She was ready to march over and unceremoniously wrench her sister away from her current company and demand some answers but one look at her sister's smiling face stopped her in her tracks.

She had never seen Jen so happy before not even when she was with Alex. Her sister's face was alight as she laughed at a joke Katie's date had cracked. Her happiness was infectious and Taylor found herself smiling along all her anger forgotten. Deciding to let her sister enjoy the moment she abandoned her course and instead set off in search of Alyssa.

To her enormous surprise she found her friend seated at a table with none other than Cole. She was about to turn away and hide in the crowd but decided against it in favour of not letting her friend suffer alone.

"Taylor," Alyssa exclaimed when she joined them though she did not look as though as hassled as Taylor imagined she would be. In fact she seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Cole was just telling me some hilarious stories," she beamed

"Was he?" she asked uncertainly unable to imagine what it was tales it was that the jungle boy had been spinning.

"Uh… she asked about the Amazon…I'll go get us some drinks, shall I?" and with that he was off.

"You didn't have to scare him off, you know?" said Alyssa

"Don't worry he'll be back before you know it," Taylor assured her friend

"I saw you dancing with Eric," Alyssa stated as she turned to watch other couples on the dance floor waiting for the girl beside her to elaborate. When she didn't she turned back to her friend with quizzical eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it"

"Taylor…"

"Drop it Lyssa, there's nothing to talk about," she stated.

As much as she would have liked to pour her heart out to her friend at that moment there was no way she was going there again.

"You know, for as long as I've known you I've never seen a guy have such a remarkable effect on you as he seems to have"

Taylor looked up at her friend who was smiling as if she had a secret that no else knew and she wasn't telling.

"Wha…"

Cole's return prevented Taylor from confronting her friend about the implications of her statement and she turned away as Cole once again launched into a purely one-sided conversation. Her eyes found Jen smiling away, her eyes as bright as ever challenged only those of her partner, Wes. If those two only came out and admitted their feelings for each other she had a feeling they would be very happy together. Wes was definitely good for her sister and she hoped that things worked out for them.

As she continued to watch the couple her gaze fell on to Wes and she could help but drawn a certain likeness between him and Alex. It was amazing she thought how similar the two looked and even more so that no one had realized this before. But it didn't matter, there was a similarity in their resemblance yes but the two couldn't be more different.

"Excuse me m'lady but my I have the honour of this dance,"

Startled she looked up into familiar blue eyes and smiled. Looking back she noticed Cole and Alyssa engrossed in a conversation and deciding that neither one would miss her she accepted the hand held out to her.

"So did your girlfriend dump you already?" she asked as she and Sky made their way to the dance floor.

"No, she's dancing with Sirius," he replied nodding his head in the direction of his older brother who was dancing with a pretty brunette in a black and yellow dress.

"I see and so you came looking for me?"

"Someone had to come rescue you from… I believe 'jungle boy' as you've dubbed him," he smirked

"You've been talking to Kapri haven't you?'

"Nope, little Rosie seemed mighty peeved that you were dancing with him."

"In case you didn't notice I wasn't dancing with him. But thanks for the save anyway I did need to get away."

"Just doing my job. Mike's a little busy tonight so it's up to me to keep you out of trouble."

"Oh really," she said raising an eyebrow as he gently led her across the floor

"How many people have you had the urge to kill yet?"

"Not many," she replied with a smile grateful for the distraction.

"But seriously, you okay? You're not acting like yourself tonight."

"Don't give me that look," he continued when she replied with a questioning glance. "I know you and something's definitely up."

"I'm fine Sky, you don't need to worry. I just… well I want to wish that this night was over with already."

"Want to?"

"For Jen I hang in there a little longer," she explained. "I've never seen her like this. It feels like I'm finally getting my sister back."

Sky chuckled, "Yes, Prince charming does seem to have that kind of effect on her."

They both turned to glance at the couple but what they saw made Taylor's eyes grow wide in surprise and anger. The hand on Sky's shoulder balled into a fist as she tried to keep herself in control. Sky's had a similar reaction but he tightened his hold on Taylor's waist and immediately began steering them as far away as possible.

"Sky…" she growled

"I know," he replied, in a gruff voice of his own. "But you can't do anything here."

Across the floor now dancing with Jen while Wes stood at the side looking like a lost puppy was none other than Alex Drake. Jen's eyes were wide as well and her body stiff as she allowed herself to led across the floor by the man she had once loved.

"What is he doing here?" Taylor growled as the two of them came to stop by one of the doors leading to the balcony.

"His parents must have been invited," Sky replied not daring to let go of the girl lest her temper cloud her judgment and she do something rash.

Jen was frozen. She had been enjoying herself, content in floating around the dance floor in Wes's arms. At that moment she wasn't afraid of telling Wes how she felt, in fact she was going to do it. She opened her mouth to say something when out of nowhere someone stepped in asking to cut in. Being the gentleman that he was Wes stood aside though he was reluctant to let ago. But as Jen stared into the familiar eyes of Alex Drake, her ex-boyfriend, every single fear she had where relationships were concerned came rushing back.

"A…Alex," she stuttered as he put his arm on her waist

"Hi there Jen, you look gorgeous tonight," he whispered in her ear sending shivers down her spine.

If there was one thing Alex knew how to do it was to make her feel like she was the most special girl around no matter how mad she was at him. A contented sigh left her lips as she continued to dance with him, their slow movements bringing back memories of happier times, times when just spending time with the man in front of her meant the world.

"What is she doing?" Taylor growled as she watched her sister melt.

Several pairs of eyes tuned in on the pair as they moved across the floor including Leelee, Kimberly and Eric. Mrs. Drake who as Taylor recalled was a lot like her own mother could be heard telling her companion that her Alex and Jen had always had good chemistry and to Taylor's great surprise her mother agreed but added that Wes was a far more beneficial match for her eldest daughter. Marah and Kapri who had stopped whatever it was they were doing to shamelessly watch the couple on the floor giggled in delight making Wes who was standing near them very comfortable.

Taylor slapped her hand against her forehead, her mother and sisters were definitely not helping the situation. Not that her sister was doing anything to help her cause. Jen should have pushed Alex away right from the start but there she was allowing him to pull her closer, caving in to some unexplainable hold on her.

"Easy there Tay," she heard Mike whisper in her ear as he and Maya joined the duo.

Both boys understood why she hated Alex so much and to tell the truth they weren't such great fans of him either. However they both understood that causing a scene here would not be good for anyone and though Taylor was aware of this fact as well, her temper was far too out of control and both of them had taken in upon themselves to keep her from doing something rash.

When the song came to an end Alex stepped away from Jen and smiled at the dumfounded girl.

"It was great seeing you again Jen," he whispered before placing a small kiss on her cheek and walking away from the frozen girl.

"Guys let me go," Taylor growled to the two men standing on either side of her

"Tay," Sky warned

"I'm not going to kill him… not here at least," she assured them "I just need to get her out of there."

The two boys shared a look before turning to Jen who was still frozen on the dance floor and simultaneously let their 'sister' go. As soon as she was free Taylor stalked across the ballroom without a care as to how she looked or what people might think. As she walked past her sister she grabbed her hand without looking at her and pulled her towards the nearest exit.

Twenty minutes later the two emerged, both tight lipped and neither looking the other in the eye. Jen immediately made a beeline for Katie and Kelsey leaving Taylor to wander about the room on her own. No longer in mood to join the festivities she quietly made her way to the balcony so that Mike and Sky would not seek her out and enjoy the rest of the night without worrying about her.

She sighed in the solace of the night, of all the things that had run through her mind when she thought of tonight's gala she had never once imagined it would turn out quite like this. The quiet of her thoughts was shattered by Cole when he sought her out with Alyssa in tow. She ignored them for the most part leaving Alyssa to entertain Cole's energetic conversation as she turned her eyes back to the ballroom.

Watching through the glass a frown marred her features as she saw her father deliberately steering Rose away from some of the guests. Cringing at the thought of her sister torturing the poor people with one of her epic lectures Taylor turned away, she saw neither Jen nor Alex and was grateful but failed to notice that Eric and Wes too were absent.

When the first guests began to leave Taylor once again abandoned Cole to Alyssa and set off in search of her father in hopes that she could persuade him to leave as well. However her mother would have none of it and despite her efforts the Earhardt family was one of the last to leave.

Mr. Collins stood by the door along with Wes and Eric as bid good night to the last of his guests which included the Krugers, the Trumans and the Earhardts. His daughters had declared that they were exhausted and had already left for their apartment accompanied by Tommy. Eric nodded towards Katie and Mrs. Truman as they got into their car before catching a glimpse of Taylor standing with her mother and Cole waiting for their car to pull up.

After an awkward goodbye Jen had driven off with her youngest sisters in tow leaving Taylor to ride with their parents and Cole. The blonde tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for her father to drive up trying very hard to ignore the constant chatter of Cole and her mother. One would imagine that a night like this would have tired them out but clearly that was not the case. She turned around to catch a glimpse of all those who remained and her eyes fell on the back of a tall blonde talking to one of the guardians.

"I'll be right back," she said to her mother and with a steely smile on her face walked up to her target.

She tapped him on the shoulder lightly and waited for him to turn around.

"Uh… Taylor?" surprised blue eyes regarded her as their owner took a minute to recognize her

"Welcome home Drake," she said with a wry smile as she punched him in the gut knocking him backwards before turning on her heel and marching towards the waiting car.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I hope you guys enjoyed it.<p>

As always if there's anything you didn't understand drop me a line and clear things up.

Please Review and let me know what you think.

Till next time…


	22. Actions & Consequences

Hey there, really sorry for not updating sooner but I hit a roadblock with all the work I'm trying to balance and just didn't have the time to write. But I'm back on track now and hopefully everything will go smoothly now.

For now here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 22: **_**Actions & Consequences**_

"You punched Alex!" Jen shrieked at her sister who sat calmly on her own bed flipping the pages of her novel while the two youngest ones watched the scene play out from the doorway.

"You almost knocked him unconscious," Jen said disbelievingly

"Did I?" Taylor responded without looking up from her book. "Should have hit him harder," she added as an afterthought.

"Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"Do you?"

Taylor finally shut her book and looked up at her sister who was slightly taken aback by the question.

"What do you…"

"Don't play dumb with me Jen," the blonde snapped. "And don't you dare get on my case for punching that twit. He deserved it…no he deserved a lot more…he's lucky I left it at that." Picking up her book she got off her bed and made to leave but stopped in the doorway to say one final thing to her sister.

"You know what, you're right…I shouldn't have hit him…That…should have been you."

Jen stared after her sister as the blonde pushed passed the two younger ones on her way out. She couldn't believe that Taylor had spoken to her that way and the fact that she would behave so rashly at the Collins' party mortified her. She couldn't even imagine what Kimberly and Leelee would say once they heard of the display she could only be grateful that they weren't present to witness it themselves.

She followed after Taylor but stopped in the doorway when she heard her mother screech at her sister picking up where Taylor walked out on her rant last night. Marah and Kapri scattered to get a closer look of the commotion, Jen however sighed when she heard the door slam.

"Is it finally over?"

Startled, Jen turned to see Rose stepping out of her room with a book in hand and a resigned yet disapproving expression on her face.

"All that yelling was making it incredibly difficult to read…Oh hi Jen, didn't see you there, I assume it was Taylor who stormed out then," she droned on without giving the elder girl a chance to speak.

"Oh and if you and Alex are getting together again, can you at least try to make it less dramatic than last time. All that noise and commotion made it very difficult to get any work done."

"Uh…Alex and I aren't getting back together," Jen mumbled trying to get over her shock at her sister words.

"No… hmmm… it sure looked like that to me… and everyone else there."

And just like that without giving her sister a chance to say anything Rose flitted back into her room, nose buried behind her book leaving behind a wide-eyed and speechless Jen.

Back in the city Wes slumped in through the door behind his father and cousin as they made their way back to their penthouse as soon as their scheduled press conference wrapped up. His head was no longer in the game and the last thing he wanted to be reminded of was last night's party. But his sisters it seemed had their own ideas.

"I always thought that one was a little off her rocker," Leelee could be heard ranting. "She's always been rude and snarky but I think punching some poor unsuspecting boy who didn't say a word to her all night was definitely uncalled for."

"Uncalled for? Leelee her behavior was completely barbaric. I don't care what he might've said or done to her that was no way for a lady to behave," Kimberly retorted

"Dare I ask what you two are going on about?" Mr Collins asked his daughters as the three of them entered the living room.

"We were just discussing Taylor Earhardt's complete lack of etiquette," Leelee informed.

Wes groaned loudly wishing he had not told his sisters anything about what happened after they had left.

"As I recall, neither one of you was there to witness what happened," their father said sternly

"That doesn't mean we don't know what happened dad," Kimberley replied.

"Besides you were there, you saw it first hand," Leelee prompted

"And I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't paying attention. What happened, happened it does not affect us in anyway and I for one have several things to sort out before we leave, so if you will excuse me."

And so he retired to his room leaving the youngsters to their discussions. Wes wanted to follow but found himself dragging his feet to the couch and slumping down on to it in resignation.

"You two saw what happened too, what do you have to say about it?" Leelee asked

Eric shrugged and followed his uncle's example and headed straight for his room but not before he overheard a snippet of the girl's conversation.

"Poor Jen to have a sister like that must be so embarrassing…"

"Don't feel sorry for her Kim, she wasn't exactly an angel herself, swooning over her ex like that."

Eric marched into his room discarding his tie as he shut the door behind him. Taylor's little stunt had spared him from witnessing Wes sputter like a teenage girl last night, but thanks to Kim and Leelee's inability to stay quiet he had a feeling that it was coming very soon.

Shrugging out of his suit he stepped into the shower, despite taking one earlier that morning he couldn't resist the relaxing effect a hot shower had on him and his visit to Turtle Cove defined stressful. As the hot spray hit him he replayed the events of last night in his mind. Dancing with Taylor did not have the outcome he had planned, though he had to admit it was easier in a way. He was nowhere surer of what was going on in her head than when he first met her and Lucas had only complicated things.

Instinctively his fists clenched and lips tightened, just thinking about Lucas Kendall got him all riled up. Lucas had crossed a line and for that he would never forgive him. Ever since their last meeting Lucas had made it a point to steer clear of him, taking extra care to ensure that they didn't cross paths. Which was why he was surprised whe Lucas casually asked Taylor out in front of him, not that he was actually asking her out but…

Shaking off those thoughts he went back to last night Leelee mentioned something about her dressing up for Lucas and then brushing off her assistance. He smirked as he imagined Taylor brushing off his nosy cousin, that would have been something worth watching. It was definitely something she would do but dressing up for Lucas?... While he had to admit that her deviation from her regular attire had floored him and impressively so, he could not see her dressing up for anyone but herself. Besides she gave him no indication that she was waiting for Lucas or that she even knew he was going to be there.

On hindsight he did regret parting from her so abruptly and wondered what it was that she wanted to say to him in the end. Nevertheless he was upset and keeping his distance was the only option he saw at that moment. But that didn't stop him from watching her through the evening. He saw her sit with that ridiculous idiot with whom she was dancing before looking as bored as ever while he entertained her friend until Sky came to her rescue. He couldn't help but look on curiously when Sky backed her into a corner and was soon joined by Mike, both acting like overbearing bodyguards who were trying to rein her in.

The cause of this sudden tension he learned was Alex Drake, the man dancing with her sister who turned out to be her ex. Taylor's behavior made him curious about the history that the three obviously shared especially since this was the second time he had seen her react to him.

Even as they bid their guests farewell his eyes didn't leave her from the impatient tapping of her heels, the mischievous smile on she face as she walked up to her target and tapped him on the shoulder before delivering the final blow.

He chuckled, as inappropriate that might have been it was hilarious and took a lot of control to rein in his laughter. That definitely was a great way to end the night especially since he – although for different reasons - wanted to punch the guy himself.

Eric's good mood evaporated the moment he stepped out of the shower to find Wes sprawled on his bed still dressed in his formal shirt and pants with his tie askew. He frowned as he was reminded just why he wanted to punch Alex.

"Wes," he acknowledged his cousin who was staring up at the ceiling

"Hey" came the reply but Wes continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"Was there something you wanted?"

No answer. Eric continued drying his hair and walked over to slide open the balcony door. If Wes wanted to talk he was going to have to talk.

"Do you think she likes him?"

There it was…straight to the point…a first…but good for Wes.

"Who are we talking about?" Eric played dumb

"Jen and…and that guy,"

"Alex"

"Yes Alex," Wes cringed at the name

"You do realize you're acting like a teenage girl with a crush," said Eric with an amused smirk.

"Eric! Just answer the question"

He heaved his shoulders and sat at edge of the bed looking down at the wet towel in his hands.

"I don't now Wes, he's her ex so I assume she liked him at some point"

"But what about now, does she still like him?"

The pleading look in his cousin's eyes was very clear, Wes didn't just like this girl, he had fallen in love with her. And as much as he wanted to tell him that things would work out there was only one answer he could give him.

"The only person who can answer that is Jen"

Eric sighed when Wes didn't reply. It was not unusual for Wes to have girl trouble, he was nothing if not charming and had always been popular with the girls, even when they were teens. He had dated, gone through all sorts of motions which usually ended in an amicable breakup – he was far too nice for people to actually hate him. What was unusual though was Wes coming to him for help. The only time the two talked about relationships was when Wes met a new girl he really liked and couldn't stop talking her and he only pretended to be listening or when Wes tried to set him up on date when he didn't even bother to pretend.

But this thing with Jen was different. If he liked a girl Wes flirted with her openly but with Jen he was subtle, almost shy even and if they were in the same room together he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Do you like her?" Eric asked the obvious question

"What?"

Wes sat up as if he had just been electrocuted.

"It's a simple question Wes, answer it"

"Well…of course I do," Wes stated looking at his cousin as if he had just grown two heads.

Eric ignored him and got to his point.

"Does she know that you like her?"

Wes's jaw dropped.

"I…well…I think she does"

"You never told her?"

Eric watched as his cousin bowed his head while his hands clenched the sheets.

"I…uh…well…that sort of thing is not easy to say," Wes mumbled when he finally looked up.

"Damn it Wes which century are you living in," Eric groaned in disbelief.

"What?... She said she liked me either," Wes defended

"You ever wonder why? God knows you two spent enough time together?"

"But…"

"Not but's Wes, neither of you are mind readers, if you like the girl you tell her, if not then let it go. Besides if neither of you have actually admitted anything then you're both free to do as you please," Eric said in a tone that clearly stated that he was done with this conversation.

Wes sat up and buried his head in his hands.

"What should I do?"

"You want my opinion?"

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise"

"Let it go. Go home and find someone a little less complicated"

"Eric!"

Eric smirked, his cousin was just too easy sometimes

"That is my opinion. However if you really like her that much…"

"I do"

"…and her crazy family doesn't bother you."

"They don't…well maybe some of them do…not a problem…I can deal with it"

"Go home."

"Eric!"

Once again Eric had to smirk as he saw the disbelief etched into Wes' face. But before the blonde could launch into tirade of how he wasn't helping he raised his hand and continued.

"Go home and think about it. If you still can't let it go then actually tell her how you feel and take it from there. This separation was coming Wes, your best option is to take some time so that both of you can figure out how you feel and then get into a relationship if that's what you both want."

"But what about… him?" Wes asked

"Wes, you and I both know that if she likes him more than she does you then it's not going to work either way. But if it really upsets you go talk to her find out where she stands and then decide what you want to do. But for heaven's sake stop moping around like a love sick girl."

"That's… you're brilliant. When did you get so good with relationships?"

Wes' sullen mood quickly turned to a teasing one and he was determined not to leave the room without turning the tables on his cousin.

"It's called common sense Wes. Besides you didn't really give me a choice now, did you buddy?"

With his trademark grin back on his face Wes hopped off the bed and headed for the door, but not without having the last word.

"Not all her family are crazy. But already knew that didn't you," he winked

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think.<p>

Till next time….


	23. On the Outside

Hey there,

Thanks so much for all your reviews and messages. Really sorry for being M.I.A again. I hit a roadblock with the story and wasn't sure how to proceed. But I see to have come up with a solution and hopefully one that works.

For now here's the next chapter….

**Chapter 23:** _**On the Outside**_

Over the next few days things in the Earhardt household did not improve. News of Taylor's stunt had spread and Mrs. Earhardt found herself being roped into tedious discussions about her daughter's behavior much to her displeasure and she made sure that Taylor knew just how she felt. Rose spent a lot of time in her room but was sure to drop heavy comments on etiquette and boundaries whenever Taylor walked into the room but never looked her sister in the eye. Marah and Kapri spent most of their time out of the house and their father followed their example. Having lost the sanctity of his study to his house guests Mr. Earhardt spent his time in town. Taylor and Jen had not spoken since their row and avoided each other as much as they could. Even the fact that they shared a room didn't deter them. Taylor made sure that she left for her morning run before Jen woke up and returned much later when she was sure her sister had left for work. In the evenings she would either leave the house or retire to the backyard just before Jen was due back home and didn't go up to their room until she was certain the elder girl was asleep.

Cole found all of this very uncomfortable he was not used to such a tense atmosphere. He spent a lot of time with Taylor when she was trying to avoid the rest of her family. Having been cut off from interacting with people his age he learnt a lot from her when he tagged along with her to town and couldn't help but be impressed. She was curt and often came across as a little rude but was a strong and independent who didn't like to rely on others but never shied away from standing up for her friends. Alyssa who often tagged along when she had the time explained to him that was who her friend was, tough and thoughtful at the same time.

He found a good listener and teacher in Alyssa. She listened to his stories and laughed at his jokes even when they weren't funny. She would also correct him and explain things to him when he got confused. Compared to Taylor she was fragile, soft and open. It amazed him how two people so different could be friends. As he sat on the floor of the Earhardt's study he recalled the afternoon he had mentioned it to the two friends.

Taylor and Cole had met Alyssa for lunch at a café close to the school she taught at. After a few moments of watching the two friends interact he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"How are you two friends?" he blurted out unexpectedly

Taylor fixed him with a stern gaze while Alyssa turned to him amused.

"What do you mean Cole?" she asked sweetly despite knowing where this was going.

"I mean… you…you're so nice and well Taylor's…well Taylor's…not," he said hesitantly casting a weary glance at the blonde to see her reaction.

To his surprise she smirked and leaned her elbow against the table and resting her head in her hand as she gestured for Alyssa to proceed. The petite girl laughed before focusing on Cole with a smile.

"We weren't always friends," she explained. "In fact back in elementary school I always believed that Taylor didn't even know I existed. You see she was always a little aloof from us all, she used to hang out with older boys and was awfully rude when someone spoke to her. I always thought it was because everyone admired her sister and that she didn't want to be in her shadow."

Taylor scoffed but didn't say anything otherwise.

"Anyway, one day when went on a field trip to the museum. I got separated from my group and ended up wandering off with a group from another school. When I realized that I tried to find the others and ended up bumping into some older kids who were trying to pull a prank on one of the watchmen."

"What happened?" Cole pushed when Alyssa paused to take a sip of her drink

"Well… they obviously weren't happy about being found out and me I just stood there wide-eyed and frozen."

"Did they hurt you?" he asked, concern lining his voice

"Oh no…" she laughed. "They high-tailed it out of there leaving me still standing there when their trap tripped and the snoozing watchman ended up with a bucket of slime dumped on his head."

Even Cole laughed at that image.

"It sounds funny now but back then I was so scared, the guard so furious that he looked like a rabid monster and when he turned on me I was so frightened I couldn't open my mouth to say anything. And obviously since there was no one else around he thought I did it. So he grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the administrator's office. Then he was yelling and screaming about bratty kids till this lady came in and started giving me a lecture while trying not to laugh at the guy."

Taylor smiled and turned away from the conversation, fixing her gaze on a couple sitting outside the coffee shop across the street.

"And I was terrified especially when she said they were going to call my teacher. I freaked out and almost started crying. That's when Taylor walks in with an empty jar of slime in her hands. Without a word she hands it over to the lady and nods her head to the window where we could see the two boys from earlier. I just stood there stunned I had no idea what she was doing there or where she came from, but there she was having a staring contest with the two adults.

The most shocking thing though was her telling them, 'She's too puny to have done it on her own.'"

"What happened then?"

"They believed her, as shocking and inconceivable as it might seem they believed her and caught up with the other group. We were asked to wait outside while the two boys and their teacher went inside after they found a similar bottle in one of the boys' backpacks. Apparently they teacher freaked them out so much that they confessed."

"So that's it?…it still doesn't explain anything"

"The story's not over doofus," Taylor interjected without looking at them.

"She's right… when they came out of the office we were still standing there waiting for our teacher to come get us. One of them saw us and recognized me. And the next thing I know they're both walking over to us glaring daggers at me."

"They thought you told on them…."

"Exactly… but they didn't really get a chance to say anything."

"Why?"

"Well…" Alyssa turned to smile at her friend before going back to the story. "Someone decided to beat them to it."

Cole pointed to Taylor with a quirk of his eyebrows and Alyssa nodded.

"She walked right up to them and said, 'do you really think beating up a little kid because of your own stupidity is going to win you any points with your friends? Or better yet, how about we tell them that you two got beaten up by a girl. That sounds so much better, doesn't it?' And she shoves a fist right into their faces."

"Did she hit them?"

"Nope, Ms. Appleby decided to show up and ruin all my fun," Taylor answered as she rejoined their conversation.

"After that I pretty much followed her everywhere."

"So that's how you became friends?"

"It involved a long lecture on how I should stand up for myself and put my big brain to use because even if I wasn't stronger that the bullies I was definitely smarter. But it ended with an assurance that if I couldn't deal with it myself I should go get her. That's how we started out. And because I realized she wasn't so scary if you're not being a jerk our teachers started pairing us up together for projects and it turned out we worked well together and eventually became best friends."

"That satisfy you?" Taylor asked Cole

"No… not really it still seems unlikely that the two of you would be as close as you are now," he mused.

"I guess from an outsider's perspective it might seem like that, our personalities do seem quite at odds with each other. But it's never been a problem for us, we just approach things differently and though we don't always agree we balance each other out."

He backed off after that, not because he finally understood what she was trying to say but because something she had said pushed him onto the back foot and talking to her hadn't been the same since.

"Hey there"

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Taylor walking out of the kitchen door.

"Do you want to go for a ride?"

"Wha…What?" he asked, completely thrown by her question.

"I'm going into town, you wanna tag along? Your uncle said you've been working too hard"

He nodded and followed suit but stayed silent until she had pulled out of the driveway and onto the street.

"I take it Jen is due home soon" he said quietly

"I guess so," she replied keeping her eyes on the road. "Was there something you needed?"

"No, just making an observation"

"What are you trying to say Cole?"

"You're avoiding your sister," he stated

"And that is bothering you because…?" she asked not even flinching at the accusation

"You're family, families shouldn't do that."

"Cole, drama at the Earhardt house is nothing new, one of us is always up in the air about something and a battle of wills is pretty common. It's usually between me and my mom though. As she would say I'm her problematic one. And like all our little disputes this too shall pass."

"You sound confident"

"Chalk it up to experience. Look I know all this is a little strange for you and honestly I don't expect you to understand but Alex Drake is a bit of a sore spot for us and I just don't want to see my sister hurt herself again. But try not to think about it too much you don't really know what happened."

"Yeah, there's a lot I don't know,"

"So, are you going to tell me what's eating at you?" she asked as she turned on to the main road.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've haven't been your annoying self since Lyssa dropped that outside comment and you haven't spoken to her since so how about we start there"

"Taylor…"

Cole was stunned he never expected her to ask him that nor did he ever think she had noticed his reaction to Alyssa's words.

"That's not what she meant when she said 'outsider'," Taylor continued without looking at him.

"Huh?"

Pulling the car to a stop at a red light she turned to him with a sigh.

"Cole, what Alyssa meant was that anybody who is not either her or me won't get how we work. People who have known us as long as we've know each other might have some inkling but believe me most of them are as baffled as you are. The last thing Alyssa wanted to do was make you feel like you don't belong. She would never do that. That girl is too nice to be mean to people she dislikes and she definitely doesn't dislike you," she finished with a smile turning away as the light changed.

"Dislike?"

"Hate is too strong a word to use in the same context as Lyssa," she shrugged.

"Oh…I didn't…I…"

"Don't worry about it, you just misunderstood her. It's not a big deal"

"But…"

"And she thinks you've been busy with work, so no damage done okay."

Cole nodded but Taylor's reassurance had lightened his mood. Ever since he had come to Turtle Cove he had felt like an outsider like there was so much he didn't know about the people around him. And the one person who had genuinely been nice to him saying something like that to him – albeit he did miss understand her – had hurt him. Besides he really liked Alyssa, more than he would allow himself to admit.

"How's that going anyway?"

"What?"

"Work, or whatever it is you and the old man are cooped up in the study doing?"

"It's going well," he chuckled. "I think we've really found something"

"Good, because I expect you to be in a good mood today."

"And why's that?" he asked

"Because we're going to have dinner with Alyssa and broody you is far more annoying that cheerful you, so pull it together."

Cole laughed he had gotten used to Taylor's strange way of being nice to him. She wasn't sweet and didn't force herself to be nice. She just treated him like she did everyone else and he was thankful for that. However his discussion with his uncle had begun to weigh heavily on him. His uncle expected him to marry Taylor and while he did like her he had begun to see her as a sister, one he had come to lean on.

He watched her as she pursed her lips while pulling into a parking space. Beneath her angry façade Taylor was plain and simple, straight to the point. She had never pretended to be anything less that she was and had been straight with him right from the beginning even when she was weary of him. Sliding out of the car he adjusted his jacket and made a decision. She had been upfront with him so he was going to do the same. On the way home he was going to tell her everything.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it.<p>

Please review and let me know what you think

Till next time…


	24. Startling Surprises

Hey guys, thanks so much for the reviews and messages. My apologies for the delay I kinda lost my head on this one.

Here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 24: **_**Startling Surprises**_

The next morning opened on a sombre note. Taylor stared into her cereal as if it would magically present the solutions to all her problems. Cole sat opposite her shifting his own breakfast around casting weary glances across the table every now and then. Marah and Kapri ignored them as they excitedly charted out their plans for the day. Rose however didn't miss the glances Cole was sending his sister and she grimaced at them over the book she held in her hand.

"Mom have you seen…my…keys?" Jen slowed down when she spotted Taylor in the kitchen, especially since she had barely seen the other girl since their fight.

Taylor looked up and their eyes met for the first time since their row but neither said a word. They had determinedly avoided each other for the past couple of days, both refusing to talk to each other.

"Here you are dear," Mrs Earhardt bustled in with Jen's keys ignoring the silent standoff between her two daughters. She too was upset with Taylor over Alex but once Kapri pointed out that Jen dancing with Alex was detrimental to her budding relationship with Wes she put it out of her mind and regarded her second eldest as usual.

"Thanks mum," Jen took her keys and headed for the door.

"Hey Jen wait up," Kapri called after her "We need a ride into town"

But Jen was long gone.

"I'll take you," said Taylor as she picked up her bowl and dropped it in the sink

"You're heading into town today?" asked Marah

"I need to go to the bookstore," she replied matter-of-factly.

As she left the room she placed a comforting hand on Cole's shoulder and hoped he understood that he did the right thing by talking to her.

Two hours later Taylor pulled into the city parking lot after dropping off her sisters. A quick check of her car door later she was walking down the sidewalk towards her favourite bookstore. Thinking back to the previous night, she had assured Cole that everything would be fine but the truth was he rattled her and made her doubt the "slimy" Dr. Adler even more than she already did.

"Morning Taylor"

"Oh…Hey Kendall," she looked up to see a pretty brunette smiling at her over a bucket of deep red roses.

"Need some help?" she asked nodding at the delivery truck loaded with similar buckets parked on the street just outside Kendall's flower shop.

Kendall looked back at the truck with a sigh before facing the blonde once again

"I hate to ask but… please… I have no idea where Danny's at."

With a chuckle Taylor pocketed her keys and strode over to the truck lifted one of the rose filled buckets and followed Kendall into the store.

"Probably got roped into one of Max's hare-brained schemes again"

Kendall laughed out loud and nodded in agreement. The two girls spent the next half hour going to and fro between the truck and the store debating over what the inseparable duo might be up to. They had just set the last of the flowers down when the entry bell chimed altering them to the tall, stocky, young man panting heavily in the doorway while his glasses hung askew over his face.

"Sor… Sorry…I'm… I'm late," he panted out as Kendall took a step towards him folding her arms across her chest as she did so.

She gave him a small smirk and moved her hands to her waist in mock anger.

"Where on Earth have you been? No call…no message…nothing. Lucky for you Taylor came to my rescue, otherwise you'd be in big trouble," she scolded but without any mirth behind her words.

Hearing the name the boy looked up behind the counter where he spotted his blonde friend and his face broke into a grin as he adjusted his glasses.

"Hey, Dan"

"Hi Taylor, thanks for helping Kendall out," he said apologetically as he caught his breath.

"Don't mention it… we've had a blast trying to figure out what you and Max were up to."

"Oh… It wasn't Max that got me late this morning," he said moving past both women to retrieve his smock and gloves from the back room.

"Jack decided he would tell Z he was back by pranking her and I got caught in the crossfire," he finished once he remerged.

"So Landors' in back in town huh…," Taylor mused

"Is that it," said Kendall in disbelief. "And here we thought you and your partner in crime were up to no good."

"Nope… totally the victim here… But speaking of being up to no good… I heard someone finally took a crack at Alex Drake."

Taylor groaned as he turned towards her with his boyish grin. Strong as a bison, though he was Danny was one of the most warm-hearted, gentle and mellow people she had ever met. He never used his strength to strong arm people and always tried to resolve situations without brute force. But it didn't there, he also had a tendency to try and convince his punch-happy friends to do the same. And right now Taylor could just feel the lecture coming along.

"It was a long time coming," she said hoping to head him off. "And I think I finally got it out of my system."

"Hold on," Kendall exclaimed looking slightly alarmed as she turned to Taylor. "You really punched Alex Drake. I thought that was just a rumour."

"There's no way Alex would let a rumour like that get around," Danny cut in thinking about the Alex Drake he knew back in High School.

"Nor is he someone to take things lying down."

"Thanks for the concern Dan, but let me worry about Drake okay"

"Taylor, I'm not saying that standing up for your sister was wrong…"

"…But you wish I'd found a slightly more non-violent way to do it," she finished for him making both of them smile.

"How were you two ever friends in High School?" Kendall asked watching the familiar exchange between the two.

Danny and Taylor shared and amused look before the former shrugged leaving Taylor to answer the brunette.

"It's amazing what a few hours of detention can do."

Kendall's faced took on a curious expression while Danny tried to disguise a laugh behind a cough. Taylor on the other hand seemed satisfied with her answer and proceeded to check her pockets to ensure that she had her keys and her cell phone before looking up at the other two.

"Now, how about I get out of here and let you two lovebirds get back to work."

"Taylor!" Danny exclaimed turning as pink as the carnations he was standing next to.

"Thanks for all your help Taylor," Kendall waved as the blonde left the shop making a note that neither one actually denied her jest.

Her mood considerably lighter Taylor continued down the sidewalk as she made her way to her favourite bookstore. She stepped in with an air of familiarity, waved to the desk clerk and headed straight for the fiction section.

She browsed through the various titles with careful precision until the cover art on one of the books sent her thoughts rolling back to the conversation she had with Cole the previous evening. She grabbed a small stack of books and headed to one of the reading tables in the back where she buried her head in her hands. Try as she might she just couldn't figure this out.

Leaning back in her chair she picked up the book at the top of the pile and silently leafed through it without taking in a word. Her mind was currently back in the car with Cole replaying the events of the previous evening.

Dinner had gone smoothly and Taylor duly noted that at some point both Cole and Alyssa had completely forgotten she was there. It was amusing she thought as she listened to the two chatter away on the ride home. However once they had dropped Alyssa off Cole fell silent and looked pointedly out of the window. Taylor sensed that something was bothering him but didn't push. Cole was still a mysterious, unpredictable factor to her and she wasn't sure if she wanted to go anywhere near that can of worms. But Cole, it appeared didn't need to be pushed.

"Hey, Taylor," he began without looking at her

"Mmhmm" she replied keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

"What if… I mean… would you… uh… what would you say if I asked you to marry me?"

The car screeched to a halt in the middle of the road pushing both of them forward against the restraint of the seatbelts that held them in place. Hands still gripping the steering wheel and eyes wide the blonde turned to her companion.

"What!"

Cole looked down at his lap his hands gripping the seatbelt as he tried to recover from the shock. Taking a deep breath he slowly looked up at the blonde who was waiting for an explanation but he could no longer find the words to continue. Eventually she started up the car again forbidding him to make a sound until they reached the house. Once there she pulled him towards the bench on the porch and ordered him to explain himself.

It took a long time for her to piece together the broken fragments of Cole's nervous ramblings but by the end of it she finally had some idea of what was going on the boy's head. The crux of the matter was that Dr. Adler had convinced naïve Cole that he should get married and between the two of them they had decided that she – of all the women in the world – would be his ideal match.

She understood Cole's reasoning once he explained that he saw her as the only one who had really given him a chance since he came to Turtle Cove, at which point she conveniently left out the fact that it was more of a forced effort than anything else. But was extremely curious about Dr. Adler's reasons for the same. Why he should see her as the perfect match for his nephew was unfathomable. The man barely knew her.

Shaking away the thoughts as she tried to pull herself back to the present Taylor had to admit she was grateful that Cole had the sense to speak to her about this rather that get down on bended knee and pop the question let alone do so in front of her family and more specifically her mother. That would have been disastrous. However she was also forced to face Cole's reason for broaching the subject – his increasing feelings for Alyssa.

Alyssa was more than her best friend, she was a sister to her one that she had always looked out for and fiercely protected. Having seen the two interact up close and sometimes at her expense she had no doubt that her friend reciprocated those feelings at some level. But she was still not comfortable with the revelation. Cole she had decided was far too inexperienced in such matters to be trusted with Alyssa's heart.

Allowing her thoughts to once again fall back into muddy waters she replayed her speech from the previous night.

"Look Cole," she faltered trying to reign in her temper

"First off you can't just ask a girl to marry you, even hypothetically," she added when he opened his mouth. "And definitely not when she's driving. That said, are you nuts? Marriage is not something you take so lightly and definitely not something you get into because someone tells you that you should."

"But…"

"I'm not sure how to react to something like this, the fact that even for a moment you thought we'd make a good couple is unsettling at best. Don't take this the wrong way but you and me would have never worked. Forget different worlds we're from different universes and see the world very differently. And I guess you've realised that too if your feelings for Alyssa are anything to go by."

He nodded but still bit his lip in worry as he waited for her to continue.

"Don't worry about coming between us," she reassured him, "Lyssa and I have been through way too to let something like this rattle us. If you do have feelings for her you're going to have to ask her out a date before you can marry her. You have to know how she feels about you first. But before any of that you need to figure out your feelings. You can't decide you have feelings for me first then Alyssa and then change your mind again. I'm not going to let you hurt my friend just because you can't figure this out on your own."

She was confident in the threat behind her words when she said them but as she sat there going over the details of the previous evening with a fine toothed comb she realised that it wasn't just Alyssa she wanted to protect. But before she could sort out her thoughts on that there was the matter of the other clincher Cole had thrown away.

"Thank you for understanding," he had said having not completely registered the threat.

"But it's more complicated than that. You see my uncle insists that I marry either you or one of your sisters. He said that it was the honourable the thing to do, that it would do right by your family and make your mother very happy."

This gave her several new dimensions to think about. Just what kind of game was Dr. Adler playing? She deduced that the whole honourable and doing right by bit referred to the fact that there was a high probability of Cole inheriting their home and his marrying one of the girls would ensure that the estate remained in the family. But considering what she knew of the history between the doctor and her father it was unlikely that he would want to do something help them out. If he felt so strongly against her grandfather's wishes all he had to do was relinquish the claim on the estate, something she was now certain Cole would do if he knew of the situation.

She had assured Cole that he didn't have to worry about his uncle or her mother for that matter and that he should focus on his own feelings before he said or did anything else. But the fact of the matter was that Dr. Adler was definitely up to something and that he was living in their house. This shook her up more than anything else.

Deciding that she wasn't getting anywhere she picked up a few books without even looking at them and proceeded to the counter to pay for them.

"What could he possibly want?" she mumbled to herself as the clerk rang up her purchases.

"What could who want?"

"Huh?"

She looked up to see Mike dressed in his Silver Guardians' uniform smiling at her by the counter. Ten minutes later the two of them strolling down the sidewalk in a companionable silence.

"Out with it already?" Taylor said irritably when the quiet got too much for her.

"Out with what?"

"Whatever it is that you want to talk to be about and are holding back for some reason?"

"That obvious… Huh?"

"To me it is"

Mike laughed and playfully nudged the blonde.

"I heard about your row with Jen."

"She'll get over it"

"Tay…"

"I'm not going to apologize for what I did… He deserved it"

"I agree and I'm not asking you to. But since you and Jen are going to take some time to get back on track I figured you needed someone to talk to. Coz let's face it Earhardt you've been out of it for some time now," he said with a smile but she didn't miss the worry lacing his voice.

As Mike spoke a pair of dark eyes accompanied by an infuriating smirk flashed before her eyes, flowed by a disgruntled Jen and a nervous Cole. She wouldn't know where to begin. She stopped short and looked up at the clear sky.

"Tay?"

"Let's just say my visit home has been a lot more complicated than usual. I just need to get back into the air and clear my head. I'll be fine."

"You can't just fly away from whatever's bothering you. It will still be here when you land."

"I know," she said softly turning to him with sad eyes and an expression he never wanted to see on her face ever again. "But this time I think it can only help if I take myself out of the equation for a while."

Shaking her head slightly as if the physical movement would shake out her thoughts as well she gave him the best smile she could muster at the moment.

"Let's drop the gloomy subjects, shall we? After all you have a wedding to plan. Have you guys set a date yet?"

Mike chuckled at her attempt to change the subject. He saw right through the façade but decided to play along for the moment. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her gentle nudge so that they were moving once again.

"Slow down. We've only just told people so the wedding's a work in progress. Besides Maya and I thought we'd take our time, maybe get married next year or something. As for the date…"

He stopped and looked at her with a sly smile before continuing.

"The date would really depend on you."

"Me?"

"Yes you, there's no way I'm getting married without my best man… or gal in this case."

"Don't kid around Mike, it's not even funny," she back swatted him on the chest

"Who's kidding?"

She pulled out of his hold and blocked his path fixing him with a serious gaze.

"Your serious?"

"Wouldn't have said it if I wasn't"

"Me?... You want me to be your best man… girl…whatever…why?"

"Let's see last time I checked you were still one of my best friends…"

"But Leo…"

"Is my brother and will make an excellent usher. Besides…" he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around so that they could continue walking.

"Who else is going to save me when things start heating up?"

"What… don't think you can take on Maya?"

"Maya, even when angry I can deal with but Maya plus both our mothers with Kendrix and Karone thrown into the mix is something I'm terrified off."

"And you want to throw another woman in there"

"A non-wedding obsessed one, yes, most definitely"

"And Maya is okay with you breaking tradition."

"It's our wedding Tay we're allowed to make our own traditions. Besides Maya loves you and the sister-in-law jokes have already kicked into gear."

Taylor chuckled and looked up at the bright smile on Mike's face as he talked about Maya.

"You do realise that I have no control over whether or not I can get leave. Or whether I have to ship out or…"

"Tay I know what you do for living. It's dangerous and unpredictable but you have never let that get in your way before and neither am I. So Taylor Earhardt will you do me the honour of standing up for me on, as I am constantly reminded, the most important day of my life."

"Well… when you put it that way how can I…"

She was interrupted when her phone started beeping. Holding up a finger she winked at him as she retrieved her phone from her pocket as he rolled his eyes in response.

"...Get to the hospital"

* * *

><p>That's it for now. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think of this little twist.<p>

Till next time….


	25. Tears & Fears

Hey guys, thanks so much for the reviews.

Since I left the last chapter hanging on a vague note I'm not going to bore you with unnecessary drabbles.

Here's the next chapter….

**Chapter 25: **_**Tears & Fears**_

"_Well… when you put it that way how can I…"_

_She was interrupted when her phone started beeping. Holding up a finger she winked at him as she retrieved her phone from her pocket as he rolled his eyes in response. _

"…_Get to the hospital"_

"Excuse me," Mike reeled

"Uh… sorry Mike but I really need to get to get to the hospital right now," she said without looking up from her phone.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh… Marcus and Scott are being brought in right now and Mrs. T and Katie are going nuts… I have to go."

"C'mon I'll give you a lift"

"Mike…"

"Tay, my car's closer and I don't have to worry about a ticket, let's go,"

"Hey, you should get back to work, it's probably nothing just Katie freaking out. Besides they have to be stable if they're moving e'm. My car's just around the corner, I don't need you getting in trouble for nothing. Kay"

"Alright, but call me if you need anything"

"Always," She nodded before running down the sidewalk quickly replying to Katie's text and letting her know she was on her way.

Ten minutes later when Taylor walked through the glass doors of Turtle Cove General she was met with a familiar face. Despite the situation she couldn't help but smile when she saw the tall dark skinned ma standing by the reception desk talking to a slightly taller gentleman. The sight of both of them in their blue uniforms automatically made her straighten her posture as she strode towards them. The younger of the two spotted her and broke into a wide grin.

"Taylor!" he exclaimed stepping away from his companion

"Shane," she said in reply as she hugged her friend, all formalities forgotten.

"What's going on?" she asked once she pulled back

A muffled cough forced the two of them to turn to Shane's companion who now stood at full height.

"Uh Taylor Earhardt… Captain Rawlings," Shane introduced as he took a step back

"Pleasure Miss Earhardt but I'm…"

"Lieutenant," she corrected

"I'm sorry…" he asked confused

"It's Lieutenant Earhardt," she repeated

"Oh…you're one of us?"

She nodded and turned back to Shane with a questioning look.

"I don't really know anything," he caved. "We're Birdie's escort and were told to wait out here while he talks to Mrs. Truman and her daughter. You're dad's in there too by the way."

"There's nothing more we can say on the subject," Cpt. Rawlings confirmed to no effect

"Birdie's here?... guys what is the Lieutenant Colonel doing here? What the hell is going on? Are the guys okay?"

"Taylor"

The three of them wheeled around when Katie came running down the hall and hugged the blonde.

"Katie, is everything okay?" she asked as she held her friend.

"I… dunno," the brunette replied through sniffs. "Marcus… Marcus is in a coma… Scott… Scott's in surgery…dad's not here yet and mom's freaking out. No one's telling us anything."

Holding her hand Taylor led the distraught girl to an empty seat and crouched down on the floor in front of her. Marcus and Scott were in a dangerous profession and as she knew very well there was always a risk of them getting hurt or worse dying. Colonel Truman knew this too but Katie and her mom were always on the outside. It was unusual to see the always strong and confident Katie crumble like this but she supposed having both of your brothers lying critically ill in the hospital without any warning would that to you.

"Katie, calm down, I know this is a scary situation but you need to hang in there. The guys are tough, they're going to pull through."

She hated having to reassure the girl without any knowledge of what was going on but she had to do something. Everything was so confusing, but then again Corinth was one of their most secretive bases but that was no explanation for how both Truman's ended up like this.

"What did Lt. Col. Birdie say?"

"Chicken-head?... he just clucked out some rubbish about how brave the guys are and some other crap about duty and stuff. He didn't say a word about what they were doing or how they got hurt."

Shane coughed trying to disguise a laugh but earned a reproving look from Cpt. Rawlings who was trying very hard to hide a smile of his own.

"Oh he'll tell me alright?"

"Daddy!" Katie exclaimed when they looked up to see Col. Truman angrily stride into the room followed by – to Taylor's surprise – Mr. Collins, Eric and Leelee. She stood up allowing Katie to leap out of her chair and hug her father. Shane and Cpt. Rawlings immediately stood at attention and raised their hands to their heads in salute.

Taylor locked eyes with Eric who looked every bit as self-composed as when she last saw him. His eyes flickered over her but he maintained his stoic appearance and didn't say a word. Leelee on the other hand rushed to Katie's side once she pulled away from her father and suggested they go get some coffee. Col. Truman returned the boys' salute and asked where he could find Lt. Col. Birdie before turning to Mr. Collins to apologise for the interruption in their plans.

"Don't worry about a thing Mason. Your boys need you. Go in and find out what's going on, Eric and I will be here if you need anything."

"Thank you Allan," Col. Truman shook his hand before turning to head inside.

"Taylor dear, come along would you"

"Oh…uh…alright"

Half-an-hour later Taylor found herself winding through tables at the visitors' needs coffee shop looking for Katie. To her surprise Leelee was still hanging around and the two had now been joined by Eric.

"How do you do it?" Katie asked as she approached the table.

"Do what Kate?" she replied taking a seat beside Eric so that she wouldn't have to look at him while she delved into an uncomfortable subject.

"Go up there, knowing the risks, knowing that you can end up like… like Marcus or Scott."

Even though she knew it was coming Taylor froze for a moment. She could feel Eric's and Leelee's gazes on her and the expectant tone in Katie's voice echoing in her ears. The answer was actually quite simple but she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Look Katie, Your brothers and I or even Sky for that matter, we're not better than other people because we know the risks and still do what we do. There are so many people out there who do the same thing. And just like them we knew full well what joining the Air Force meant, it was all we could ever talk about as kids."

"Yeah… you sure did drive me and Jen nuts," Katie cracked a smile.

"Yeah we did. And now it's our job, risks and all. What happened was completely unexpected alright. It had to be for someone with Marcus' skill to… well end up like this. But accidents happen and unfortunately it happened to Marcus and Scott. But you know your brothers, they're not going to give up without a fight…"

"… and neither should I," she finished. "Thanks Taylor, I'm going to go see how my mom's doing. Thanks guys," she addressed Leelee and Eric before rising to leave.

Taylor watched her go before turning to face her hands on the table and let out a sigh of relief. Col. Truman had insisted she be allowed to hear Lt. Col. Birdie's briefing of the events, why ?, she wasn't sure because as Birdie pointed she was in no way connected to the case. But Col. Truman it appeared had enough pull to get what he wanted.

The mission the boys' squad was on was a routine test flight with everything going according to plan until an unidentified aircraft entered their space almost colliding with one of the squad's planes forcing the pilot to turn at a bad angle that jammed his steering and set off a reaction that blew of his tail. Both Marcus and Scott were caught in the backdraft of the debris. Marcus managed to eject on time but had problems with his rig on decent that led to a head injury and even though was declared stable at the base hospital slipped into a coma on the transfer. Scott on the other hand was hit by stray debris just as he ejected which resulted in several injuries which required surgery to repair.

"Just when I thought this place couldn't get any weirder"

Leelee's voice pulled Taylor out of her reverie and she faced the other blonde with a disgruntled scowl.

"I'm sorry, how exactly is two people in the hospital weird?" she asked in disbelief

"Two people in a high risk job, their family should be prepared for it, not drag everybody else into their business."

"Leelee," Eric warned but that just earned him a glare from Taylor. She did not need him coming to her rescue right now.

"No one asked you to be here, in fact no one is more surprised to see you here than I am"

"Oh… and why is that?"

"Because being there for people is up your brother's alley not yours."

"Well too bad for you, Kim and brother dear decided to skip town… Oh… you didn't know… didn't Jen tell you, I'm sure Kim sent her a text," Leelee said smugly as she watched an array of emotions fly across Taylor's face.

Leaning forward on the table she continued, "Or is it that Jen's still mad at you for punching her boy… I mean ex-boyfriend."

"Don't read too much into it," Taylor replied with all the nonchalance she could muster at that moment. "Jen gets upset irrespective of who I punch or how much they deserve it."

"So punching people who piss you off is a regular thing then?"

Taylor met Leelee's eyes with a look that said if it were true the pale blonde would not be on her feet right now. Leelee faltered beneath the look and straightened, drawing herself back.

"No," Taylor replied after a pause. "Just people who dare mess with my family."

With that she was gone without a second thought about the two wide-eyed people she had left behind.

Four hours later she and her father finally pulled into the driveway of the estate. Scott was out of surgery and currently sleeping off the anaesthesia. Marcus on the other hand was still in a coma though his vitals were good for the moment.

"It's been a long day, hasn't it sport?" said Mr Earhardt as he wrapped his arms around his daughter's shoulders leading her into the house.

"You don't know the half of it," she mumbled under her breath

"What was that?"

"Uh… I said it's not over yet."

"What do have to do that's so urgent?"

"Talk to Jen"

"Ahh, well it's about time"

"Dad…"

But he just pushed ahead, raising his hands in surrender as he walked towards the kitchen leaving her at the base of the stairs. Shrugging off her jacket she wearily hung it in the closet before trudging up the stairs.

When she pushed open the door to their room Taylor found her older sister at her desk sketching. When she didn't look up Taylor made her way to her own bed and sat down to unzip her boots.

"Hey," she said

"Hey," Jen replied without looking up

"You wanna talk?"

"Oh… so suddenly you want to talk to me?"

"Jen… I heard about Wes okay… I just wanted to know if you're alright"

The sound of a fallen pencil had her wheeling around to look at her ashen faced sister.

"Oh Jen," she whispered before hurrying over to give her sister a hug.

"It's silly really," said the brunette weakly pushing her sketch pad away.

"No it's not"

"I knew he'd be leaving eventually, but…but I didn't expect him to leave without saying a word. I… I just got a text from Kimberely…"

"May I?" Taylor asked reaching for her sister's phone.

"Go ahead"

Scrolling through the messages she quickly located the last one from Kimberly Oliver.

HI J, SRY WE'RE IN A RUSH. W, T & I ARE HEADING HME. IT WAS FUN, C U.

"That's it?"

"That's it"

"Did you call back?"

Jen shook her head solemnly taking her phone back from her sister.

"Jen…"

"What was I supposed to say?... Hi Kim, just wanted to ask why didn't you just call or better yet why didn't your brother have the decency to call and tell me he was leaving?" Jen mocked.

"Jen…"

"I'm not going to make a fool of myself again Taylor… not… not after…"

Taylor hugged her sister again. She knew exactly what the elder girl was referring to and wasn't going to make her say it but she was curious though…

"There's something else though, isn't there?"

It was just a hunch but when Jen turned away instead of answering her she was convinced that there was something the brunette had left out.

"Jen…what aren't you telling me?"

"I…uh… it's nothing… silly really…"

"Jen out with it"

"I… well I spoke to Kim some time ago…"

"And…"

"And she might've hinted that Wes might be rekindling things with his ex… I thought it was a joke or something… but he hasn't called since that night nor did he think to let me know that he was leaving town. I dunno, I'm just really confused right now, I thought he really liked me I thought we were… Oh I don't know. The only thing I'm sure off is that I haven't met a guy like that in a long time and it could be that I was just getting ahead of myself. "

As Taylor watched her sister pace around the room, nervously rubbing her arm, she let everything Jen had said run through her head. She refrained from pointing out that Kimberly's so called hint was possibly in retaliation to Jen's little dalliance with Alex. But while she expected something like that from Kimberly and Leelee she didn't expect it from Wes. He was completely and utterly in love with her sister, of this she was convinced, and even if he were affronted by the little episode at the gala he was the type to talk things out… at least she hoped he was. Then again it was possible his ignoring Jen was not entirely his own idea.

"I don't know if this is going to make you feel better but I do have a theory as to why Wes might me acting like a douche."

Jen sank down on her bed and faced her sister with a disbelieving gaze.

"I know I'm going to regret this but let's hear it?"

"I think Kimberly and Lee are trying to push you two apart…"

"Taylor…"

"Hear me out. Besides it make sense. Wes falling for you screwed up their plan for a perfect family. And they're doing whatever they can to make sure things work out the way they want them to."

"Taylor they're my friends, if they didn't like me getting close to their brother they would have said something. Besides they're also his sisters, why would they not want him to be happy?"

"They're not the type to say or do anything on a hunch and Lord knows you and Wes have been moving at snail's pace. As far as Wes's happiness goes, those two only care about if they themselves are happy. They probably want him to marry some stuck-up rich kid so that they can move around in more glitzy circles."

"Your head is a scary place. But if you're right, if they really are against this then maybe I should just forget about all this, I don't want to come between Wes and his sisters."

"Hey sis, if you really love this guy you're going to have to face the fact that there is a possibility that you may have to choose between your feelings for Wes and your concern for the Stepford sisters' feelings. Wes is a big boy and if he decides that being with you is what he wants then no one can get in the way of that."

"Yes but he has yet to tell me how he feels"

"Jen we've had this conversation before. It works both ways. If you really want to know what's going on in the boy's head pick up the phone and call him. One way or another you'll know for certain where he stands."

With that she left the brunette to her thoughts. She wished she could do more to help her sister but there was really nothing she could do about the situation. In the end it really was up to Wes and Jen.

* * *

><p>That's if for now. This chapter was originally a lot longer but I decided to post the second half as a new chapter so it doesn't become too much at once. I might have over done it with my creative licence where the hospital stuff is concerned but please bear with me. This twist was a last minute decision and I didn't have the patience to look up proper Air force protocol for this kind of thing.<p>

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and even if you didn't drop me a review and let me know your thoughts.

Till next time…


	26. Questionable Positions

Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews and messages. So I've got mixed reactions to my little twist. I know it's a little vague but hopefully it will clear up in the next few chapters and you will like where it's going.

For now, here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 26: **_**Questionable Positions**_

The next day Taylor wandered through the city on her own. They had received a call from Col. Truman who informed them that Scott was awake, still groggy from the anaesthesia, but awake. Marcus's situation on the other hand remained unchanged. Her parents and Jen had rushed over to lend their support to their friends. She however excused herself saying that she didn't want to crowd them and would check in on Scott later in the day.

The truth was she wasn't ready to face it yet. Even though she knew the risks of the job when something like this happened to her colleagues it scared her because the reality was that it could've just as easily been her. Dying, no dying didn't scare her but getting hurt and not being able to get up and fly again, that terrified her. Every time one of them ended up in the hospital there was always a chance that it was the end of the line for them as pilots and that was something she just couldn't deal with.

"Hey there, fancy meeting you here"

She stopped and turned to see a very familiar car pull up beside her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Driving"

"Lucas…" she warned

"Kidding blondie… jeez you used to be fun. My stay isn't up yet and BBH got a little boring so I'm checking out your neck of the woods…need a ride?"

Taylor mulled in over for a second before shrugging her shoulders and slipping into the passenger seat.

"Drive," she said as she strapped in her seatbelt.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere… and do me a favour, talk"

"That I can do. What about?"

She leaned back into the seat and gave him a rueful look

"Anything, everything"

Lucas turned his eyes back on the road with a gleeful smirk as he pulled away from the curb.

"You got it"

Hours later she waved goodbye to Lucas before crossing the street and walking into Turtle Cove General. To her surprise she met her father and Col. Truman at the entrance.

"There you are dear, I was wondering when you would show up," her father exclaimed

"I just wanted to give you guys some space but I guess time got away from me"

"Taylor," Col. Truman said solemnly as he took her hand in his. "You're family, please don't feel like you have to do something like that."

"I'll keep that in mind"

"Mason and I were just going to get some fresh air and maybe grab a bite. Your mother's still upstairs with Elle and Katie"

"And Jen?"

"She had to get back to work, something urgent came up"

"Oh…alright…guess I'm going to go check on the boys then."

The two older men nodded before allowing her to slip pass them. Still feeling a little jittery she quickly cleared herself with the front nurse before heading upstairs to Marcus' room. From the doorway she could see her own mother gently holding Elle Truman's hand as the other woman stared forlornly at the unmoving form of her eldest son.

If she didn't know better she would've though he was simply asleep. Even in a coma he had the ghost of a smile on his face. But if he didn't wake up soon… well… she didn't want to think about it.

"Look who finally showed up," she heard a soft voice behind her whisper

She turned to find Katie standing behind her with a cup of coffee in her hand. Taylor raised her hand in a silent hello before following the other girl away from the room.

"I'm trying to avoid going in there," she explained. "Mum's a bit out of it. She was better this morning when Scott woke up but after that she's been moping around Marcus' room."

"I see… any news from the doctors?"

"Nothing new, his vitals are stable for now, so long as he wakes up soon it's all good. If not well… we'll get to that when the time comes."

"And Scott?"

"Alive. He's on one of his broody trips but I suppose near-death experiences can do that to a guy,"

"And how are you holding up?"

"Pretty good, for a girl who almost lost both her brothers in one day. I just wish my parents had it a little more together."

Taylor was about to ask what she meant by that when Katie came to a halt outside another door and nodded towards its occupant.

"He's been asking for you, you know. You should talk to him, maybe you can get more than a few syllables out of him"

"Where are you going?"

"I need more coffee"

Taylor watched the brunette walk down the hallway before entering the room. Scott sat up in his bed looking out of the window. His right leg was propped up and bound in bandages as was his right forearm and both his hands. As she got closer to the bed she followed his line of sight and a small smile made its way to her face. Outside the window, the clear summer sky spread out before them.

"I bet you can't wait to get back up there"

"Ow," Scott winced when he turned too fast.

"Easy there flyboy, you're kinda broke right now."

"Actually I'm broken quite a bit at the moment," he replied with a painful wince.

"At least your sense of humour's still in one piece," she said as she sank down in a chair by the bed, blocking his view.

"So, what's the damage?"

"Let's look at it this way, a good week in the hospital followed my months of intensive rehab before they even begin to evaluate whether or not I'll be able to go back."

"Those odds aren't terrible, it could be a lot worse."

"Yeah, I could have ended up like Marcus," he said bitterly before falling back against the bed and wincing in pain.

Taylor shook her head silently, as always Scott was going to make this more difficult than it had to be.

"Even lying unconscious in a hospital he manages to show me up"

"Scott," she exclaimed sternly. "He's in a coma, one he might not wake up from"

"This is the great Marcus Truman we're talking about Tay. He'll be up before you know it and back in a plane before I'm halfway through rehab. Just to prove that he's better than everybody else."

"I'm going to pretend that it's the morphine talking," she said looking at her friend with slightly widened eyes.

Even when they were little it was no secret that Scott saw his brother as his biggest rival. Who wouldn't? Marcus was a prodigy who excelled at almost everything he tried. He was his parents pride and joy and no one looked up to him more than his younger brother. Marcus was the reason Scott even entertained the idea of joining the Air Force. But ever since he made that decision in High School things changed.

She understood what he was going through partly because she faced a similar situation with Jen. In fact in her mother's book in was very clear that Jen could do no wrong – even after things changed – and Taylor would never match up to her beautiful older sister. In the Truman house it wasn't looks that was the prime focus but achievements. Scott was continuously compared to his brother and at every trip or fall was reminded that he could never match up. But unlike her – who decided that her mother's approval didn't matter to her – Scott was determined to prove his father wrong and outdo Marcus.

The relationship between the two brothers became strained over the years, more so when they were both stationed at Corinth, a base their father was once in charge off with Scott being assigned to Marcus' squad. But it wasn't just his parents, even when they were at the academy together instructors constantly reminded Scott of who he was related to and how he didn't match up to his father or brother. But through it all he never said word against his brother, sure he ranted about his father all the time but he respected Marcus far too much to show just how much everything affected him.

"I know you Truman," she continued when he didn't say anything. "You're going to regret it when you're sober again."

"Then I'll just have to take a leaf out of your book and blame it on the morphine," he chuckled before his face grew serious again.

"It's strange you know, when we were kids all I wanted to do was to be just like my brother, then before I knew it I wanted to be better than him, to surpass him, to be the son my parents approved off. And despite knowing the dangers of what we do I never… not once did I even think of the possibility of… that there was a small chance that either one of us could die before I did it."

"Scott…"

"My brother has always had everything, at least that's how I saw it. He had my mother's love, my father's respect, my sister's awe, my friends worshipped him, co-workers admired him, superiors had such high opinions of him. It was all too much for me, even now we're both lying in the hospital, I've barely been awake for a few hours and they're all huddled up in Marcus' room waiting for him to wake up."

He paused to take a breath but Taylor did nothing to interrupt or put an end to his rant. Whether morphine induced or not it seemed he needed to get this out of his system.

"Hell, my dad's probably breathing down the neck of whichever poor soul has been assigned to investigate this, demanding answers about what happened to his son and who allowed him to get this way."

Taylor registered his use of 'son' in the singular with a wince.

"Believe me I'm not looking forward to being interrogated about it tomorrow."

"I wouldn't either," she mumbled. "Especially not if Birdie's the one doing the interrogating."

"What!" Scott exclaimed

"Shhh…"

"Sorry, but Birdie? What the hell is Birdie doing investigating?"

"I assumed it was as a personal favour to your dad but…"

"Assumed, as in past tense?"

"Scott what do you remember from before you ejected?"

Blue eyes stared expectantly into deep brown ones that were filled with surprise and question. Her eyes widened as she realised what she had asked. A simple question though it might have been the incident was part of an official military investigation and as a fellow officer with no connection to the incident she had no right to ask any questions about it.

"Sorry, forget I asked," she said turning away

Scott smiled and reached for her hand which was resting on the bed and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"All I remember is Marcus calling in a malfunction and ejecting and me having to eject because I couldn't get out of the way. The rest is kinda hazy."

"What?" he asked when her eyes shot back up. "You should know by now there is very little that I would deny you. Besides unless sleeping beauty decides to wakeup there's going be hordes of people asking me the same question."

With a weak smile Taylor subtly pulled her hand out of his grasp as she leaned back.

"It was a rogue bogie"

"In our air space?"

"It seems the only person who actually saw it was Marcus, it barely registered on the Tower's radar. And… well Birdie thinks that whatever it was jammed Marcus' plane which led to the whole debacle. But the rest is way above my pay grade…or so I'm told."

"How do you even know that much?"

"Well…uh…"

"Taylor"

"Right… your dad insisted I stand in on Birdie's preliminary briefing of the incident."

"I bet Birdie was really happy about that"

"Oh yeah… he was ecstatic," she smiled. "Though I figured that's why your dad did it in the first place"

"To piss Birdie off?"

"What other reason could he have had to drag me into this?"

"Uh… because he respects you," Scott stated looking at the woman in front of him as if she had grown two heads.

"Scott…" she reprimanded.

"It's true, he's always talking about what a great pilot you are, how you make a good soldier and the strength you've shown with everything you had to deal with. Hell he's probably made Katie jealous a few times."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said turning away from him.

"I'm not," he said plainly. "My father respects strong people, and you are one of those who define strength."

"You really know how to charm a girl don't you Truman," she said with a defeated sigh.

"I can only hope it works on the right one," he said looking her in the eyes with his brightest smile.

Taylor shifted in her seat, uncomfortable under his gaze until a nurse walked in to check on Scott. She visibly relaxed while the older woman went about her job and leaving just as quickly after jotting down a few things on his charts. Scott smiled as her as she left before turning his attention back to Taylor.

"I should go," she said after the silence dragged on.

"Already?"

"I've been here a while, they're probably going to kick me out any second."

"Doubt it. I have it on good authority that you're allowed to visit for however long you want."

"Is that so," she teased

"I told you, the old man's got a real soft spot for you. He would have adopted you by now if you weren't your dad's favourite."

"I'm not his favourite," she retaliated

"Wanna bet?"

"Under normal circumstances I would hit you right about now"

"Well then… I guess I should take full advantage of my injury time, huh?"

"Don't push your luck Truman"

"How about one more mile?" he said with a cheeky smile.

"Huh?" she asked confused as he leaned forward as best he could and pulled her had towards him pulling her forward in the process.

"Scott what are you doing?"

"I almost died," he said sombrely.

"That's so yesterday Truman," she said earning a chuckle from the man.

When he settled down he grasped her hand and lay down wearily.

"You alright?"

"Yeah… just tired."

"You should get some rest then. I'll come bother you tomorrow."

"Taylor wait," he said refusing to let go of her hand even though she made to rise from her seat.

"What?"

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about since this morning," he said slowly

"And it can wait till tomorrow. You're exhausted, you…"

"It can't," he shouted startling her

"I'm sorry, it's just that I really, really want to get this out."

Against her better judgement Taylor shifted back into her seat and nodded.

"I'm all ears."

Scott squeezed her hand firmly before looking up at the ceiling while Taylor unknowingly held her breath. In all the time she had known him she had never seen this side to him, so desperate and vulnerable.

"This morning after my parents and Katie left to check on Marcus I was lying here staring out at the sky going over everything they told me and I was scared. We say we know the risks, we understand what it means or what doing what we do could mean. But I guess for me the danger was never real because no matter what is was Dad and then Marcus would always come home."

"Scott what are you…"

"But I guess when it happens to you, when you're actually facing the fact that you could die, it's a whole different story. But you know what I wasn't afraid when I saw the debris coming my way, nor when I had to eject or got hit for that matter. It was waking up here knowing that I almost didn't make it, that my brother, who has always been like a superhero to me was a few doors down lying in a hospital bed just like I was, the only difference being that he hadn't woken up yet. That's what scared me."

"Sorry but I don't get it at all"

Scott smiled and took a deep breath before continuing

"I suppose what it means is that even if a person isn't afraid of death, they're still afraid of dying with regrets. And I guess I'm one of those people. I don't think I could through something like this again knowing that there's something that I want, something that's right in front of me and the only thing standing in my way is me."

"Still at a loss here Truman"

But he continued as if he didn't hear her

"And lying here alone in bed this morning I made a decision. That I was going to do something about it and if possible before the day ended. There would be no more putting things off till tomorrow."

"I doubt you're up to doing anything today"

"I am for this. I know this isn't the right place and probably not the right time and I will definitely being all this over again in a more suitable fashion with all the right equipment but I right now I have to know…"

"Scott…"

"Taylor Earhardt, will you marry me?"

_Taylor Earhardt will you marry me?_

The words hit her like a ton of bricks and she froze. She whipped her head around when a soft sound from the doorway caught her attention. Her widened blue eyes met a pair of dark ones in a similar disposition and the hand in Scott's grasp trembled. Their gazes held until the intruder turned on his heel and left. Breathing heavily Taylor turned back to Scott who was looking up at her expectantly.

"Uh…."

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I thought of leaving it at the will you marry me bit? But my curiosity over how Darcy would react if he knew about Collin's proposal got the better of me.<p>

Please review and let me know what you think of this new development.

Till next time…


	27. Dramatic Interlude

Hey guys, thanks so much for all your reviews and messages. Sorry to keep you waiting.

Here's the next chapter...

**Chapter 27: **_**Dramatic Interlude**_

"_Taylor Earhardt, will you marry me?"_

The words rang in her head like the heavy knell of warning bells. She stared into Scott's expectant brown eyes while her thoughts jumped to the pair of dark ones she had seen by the door.

"Scott…," she began but couldn't get the words out.

She dropped her eyes focusing on the bed but was well aware of Scott's gaze on her. For Taylor it seemed like time had come to a stop as a hundred different thoughts hurled through her mind. Because their families were so close she and Scott had always been friends and bonded over their desire to become fighter pilots though their reasons were very different. Everyone had teased her about the two of them getting together but she brushed them off. When they were in High School Jen had even pointed out that Scott was head over heels for her and that she was the only one who couldn't see it. Taylor had protested then and the subject was dropped. The teasing continued well after that though Taylor had begun to pay more attention to Scott's behaviour towards her making things slightly awkward between the two. But through it all he had never really made a move nor asked her out. But here he was lying in a hospital bed not just asking her out but asking her to marry him.

Her lips twitched into a weak smile as she looked up and she felt a tug at her when she saw his face light up a little more. She understood that he had just been through a traumatic experience and was still recovering but giving him false hope she decided would be far worse than playing it safe for the sake of his feelings.

"Scott… I'm sorry but I can't marry you."

And without giving him a chance to respond she rose from her seat and strode out the door. She could hear him sputtering behind her but kept moving. As she pushed open the door she paused when she found her mother and Mrs. Truman immediately jump back. Katie was leaning against the opposite wall with her eyebrows raised. Her father and Mr. Truman were also present both standing with unreadable expressions. She frowned when she didn't see anyone else, she had been certain that…

Shaking the thought out of her head she turned away from the others and walked down the corridor. Mrs. Earhardt and Mrs. Truman shared a look before the former hurriedly took after her daughter. Mr. Earhardt sighed in defeat knowing full well that he was not prepared for what was coming. He bid an awkward goodbye to the Trumans and followed after his wife. When he arrived at the parking lot it was to find Rita hassling their daughter about her reaction to Scott's proposal. Taylor on the other hand was oddly quite.

As the trio drove back home Taylor maintained her silence staring out of the window with a thoughtful expression on her face. His wife continued to share her opinion on what a lovely couple Taylor and Scott would make and how great it would be for her and Elle to be in-laws. Mr. Earhardt on the other hand kept his eyes on the road but he too couldn't help but think about the situation.

He and Mason had returned to the hospital and went straight to Marcus' room where the handsome young man he knew lay unmoving in his bed with no changes since they were last there. Rita and Elle had left them to go see Scott and a few minutes later they trailed after. As they approached they found their wives and Katie talking to Allan Collins and Eric Myers. They were leaving for Angel Grove and stopped by on their way to the airport to say goodbye.

As Eric pushed open the door to say a quick farewell to Scott the rushed words of Scott's proposal spilled out for all to hear. Eric who had been about to enter stopped in his tracks and after a moment's pause stepped back and turned to his uncle. Alan made their excuses and bowed to the ladies, shook his hand and placed a comforting hand on Mason's shoulder before they left.

With renewed vigour Rita and Elle jumped towards the door trying to hear what the two inside were saying. Mason turned to him with a questioning look of disbelief which he replied with a shrug while Katie retreated to the opposite wall muttering 'What an idiot!' under her breath.

Scott's proposal their hurried exit and Rita's constant nagging on the subject had come so suddenly that he hadn't had time to digest what it happened. Through the rear-view mirror he glanced at the silent blonde in the backseat with a soft smile on his face.

Though he loved all his daughters he knew that letting go of Taylor would be the hardest for him. She was his girl, bold, daring with a knack for driving her mother crazy. While as a parent he knew he shouldn't have favourites Taylor had a special place in his heart since the day she was born. But as dear as she was to him he had never once entertained the thought of her leaving him to get married and start a life of her own.

The reason being that every boy she came into contact with she either beat up or turned him into one of her closest friends. Mike Corbett and Schuyler Tate-Kruger were cases in point, though those two were far more than just her friends. She had dated of course but nothing serious came out of it.

But coming back to the point he still couldn't put his finger on Scott Truman proposing to his daughter. Sure their families were close but that didn't necessarily mean that the two of them would be happy together. Rita and Elle definitely seemed to think so but he was not sure. In his eyes no man would be good enough for his little girl and if he was honest with himself he didn't see Scott being close enough either.

"Mum would you give it a rest already," Taylor finally spoke up. "I am not marrying Scott."

"Now, now dear," Mrs. Earhardt cooed. "We all know that was not the best proposal. I can assure dear Elle was most embarrassed. But we must remember that the poor boy is in the hospital and that he just went through something terrible. You can put it off for now and demand a better proposal when he's better."

"No mum, I'm not marrying Scott period," the blonde hissed.

"Ah… Don't be silly. Be grateful that the boy is even considering it. I don't see a long line of suitors waiting to marry you. If you turn him down you might never get married."

"I'm willing to take my chances."

"Oh you're impossible. Turning down such a wonderful opportunity. Whatever am I going to say to Elle? It's a good thing you have one more option else we might never get you married off"

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked as her eyes narrowed at the back of her mother's seat.

"Why darling Cole of course," Mrs. Earhardt's hassled tone quickly morphed into a sweet one.

"I have it on good authority that he is simply smitten by you and is interested in pursuing a relationship," she replied happily.

Mr. Earhardt growled under his breath as he wondered what Viktor Adler could have put in his wife's head. Cole Evans was another boy that he deemed completely unsuitable for his Taylor.

"You knew about him wanting to marry me?" the blonde asked. In truth she already knew all of this Cole had confessed everything to her but hearing her mother talk about it spiked her anger.

"Of course I knew, Viktor approached me to ask if you were spoken for and of course the answer was no. It was indeed a blessing at the time. Lord knows I never thought I'd see the day a man asked for your hand. But here we are with two eligible men awaiting your answer. How exciting! Don't mess this up," Mrs Earhardt warned her daughter as the car pulled into the driveway of their estate.

Taylor took a deep breath trying very hard to reign in her anger as the car pulled to a stop. She got out of the car and slammed the door behind her before turning on her mother.

"Please get this into your head. I am not marrying anybody. Not Cole, not Scott, no one. They are my friends and nothing more. And nothing you or anyone else says is going to change my mind."

Having said her piece Taylor turned on her heel and began stalking towards the house but her mother's voice stopped her by the stairs. She turned to face her mother who was now so red in the face and it looked like steam would spout out of her ears at any second.

"Now you listen to me young lady. By some grace of God you have two men, I repeat, two men who want to marry you. I don't care whether you love them or not. You will do us all a favour and pick one. You will pick one of them or I will never speak to you again. The choice is yours. Tell her Zedd."

Taylor looked from her raging mother to her calm father as he walked up behind them casually slipping his keys into his pocket.

"I'm afraid your mother is right dear, you do have a choice to make," he said to her shock and surprise but he continued without leaving any room for interruption.

"If you do not choose to marry either Cole or Scott your mother will never speak to you again. If you do choose one however then I am afraid I will never be able to look you in the eye again."

He chuckled at the smile that broke out on his daughter's face and ignored the gasp followed by an indignant expression from his wife. Taylor leapt of the stairs and hugged her father before racing back into the house ignoring her sputtering mother completely.

Later that evening Taylor walked out of the shower towelling her hair and collapsed on her bed. She was glad to find that the house was practically empty when they got home. The last thing she needed was Cole and Dr. Adler overhearing the screaming match she had with her mother. Things were awkward enough with Cole as it was.

And speaking of awkward she couldn't imagine what would happen the next time she saw the Trumans. Katie would probably laugh and say I told you so but what she was going to say to her parents.

"Oh Scott…," she groaned as she slammed her pillow over her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Taylor shifted her gaze to the door to see Jen walk in followed by Rose. And before she could even sit up Marah and Kapri rushed into the room and parked themselves on the edge of her bed with excited grins adorning their faces. Taylor groaned again trying to smother herself with the pillow. Talking to her sisters about what happened was the furthest thing from her mind.

"Taylor…," Jen began with a sombrely but was interrupted by Kapri.

"You know we're not going to leave you alone until you spill the beans. So shoot!"

Begrudgingly the blonde pushed herself up and looked at her sisters. Jen and Rose were perched on the former's bed with Rose even shutting her book and keeping it aside while the other two sat at the edge of her own. All of them waited expectantly. Taylor sighed Kapri was right there was no way she was getting out of there alive without giving them something.

"Alright, what do you know?"

"Katie called," Jen replied which was sufficient for Taylor to gather that her eldest sister knew about Scott.

"And I heard you and mom battling it out outside so we also know about the Cole thing," Marah offered.

"Wow Tay, two guys popping the question without asking you on a date. I'm impressed," said Kapri.

"Though it's not really all that surprising," Marah added thoughtfully.

"Scott's always had a thing for you even though you never really noticed it. And Cole's been following you around like a puppy since he got here. So what's the verdict?"

Taylor didn't miss the change in Rose's posture and the reason for her sister's strange behaviour over the past week suddenly became very clear.

"First of all Cole never asked me to marry him. We discussed the subject yes, but that was just because he was confused about something. It's not like he has feelings for me or anything like that."

Rose visibly relaxed as the words left her sister's mouth but there was still something that was bothering her.

"As for Scott, he asked I said no, end of story."

"But why?" asked Marah

"Huh?"

"Why not marry Scott? I get why you would turn down marrying Cole whether he asked you or not… he's… well he's Cole. But you've known Scott for ages and he's always liked you."

"It's simple Mar, I'm not in love with him. Scott has always been a friend and I know we've been teased a lot but I always took it as a joke. Besides he's probably going through a preliminary phase of PTSD and was far too pumped full of painkillers for me to take him seriously."

"I know that it makes sense but it's kinda sad," said Marah looking dejected.

"Ah… c'mon Mar look at it this way we don't have to worry about an annoying brother-in-law. Besides Taylor getting married before Jen would be a little scary… this way all is right with the world," declared Kapri only to have a pillow shoved at her head by her eldest sister as Marah and Rose giggled.

"For all you know little sister you might be the first of us to get married," Jen quipped

And as Taylor sat there laughing with her sisters after a very long day she felt lighter.

Miles away Allan Collins hid a smile behind his newspaper as he watched his disgruntled nephew shift in his seat staring out of the window of the aircraft. Eric had mastered the art of maintaining an unreadable stoic appearance at a very young age but sometimes when he fell so deep in thought his face was an open book to whatever it was that was going on in his head.

Turtle Cove and been a good experience in his book. The Silver Guardians would do well and he had made some good friends in the bargain, his son might have found the love of his life and his stubborn nephew just might have found someone to give him a run for his money. But as they headed back to their usual lives he had to wonder just how much would stay the same and how much would change.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think.<p>

Till next time...


	28. Memory Lane

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews and messages. Sorry about the wait, didn't realise it had been so long since my last update. Hope you enjoy this…

**Chapter 28: **_**Memory Lane**_

It was still dark when Taylor gathered the last of her things and stuffed them into her duffel bag. She made sure to be careful not to wake her sleeping sister. Taking one last look around to make sure had everything Taylor zipped up her bag and turned off the desk lamp she had been using. The illuminated digits on her watch told her she still had some time before she had to leave so she carefully slid over to the window and crawled out on to the roof.

Huddled up in her favourite spot a wistful sigh escaped her lips as she looked down at the backyard in the ever so slowly lightening sky. Back inside she could hear Jen shift in her sleep. She hadn't been sleeping well for a while now but then again after the week they'd had it was no surprise.

Ever since the disaster with Scott at the hospital he had refused to see her though Katie informed her that he was just sulking like a baby. Neither Colonel Truman nor his daughter held her rejection against her. The Colonel believed that Scott's proposal was merely a reaction to the trauma he had suffered and that giving into him would only hinder his recovery. Katie on the other hand new that her brother's affection for Taylor ran deeper than that and pointed out that Taylor should have seen it coming and let him down easy a long time ago. But still she admitted if her knuckle headed brother was going to come clean about his feelings he should have at least asked her out on a date first. About Mrs. Truman's feelings Taylor was unaware as the older woman had said nothing to her daughter and Taylor's own mother maintained that she was far too embarrassed to show her face to her friend.

Thinking of her mother Taylor hid her face in her hands as she tried to restrain herself from tugging at her carefully tamed hair in frustration. Ever since their argument the older woman had stuck to her guns and not spoken to her second eldest directly. But it didn't stop her from talking around her and bringing up the infuriating subject over and over again. She was further infuriated when Cole revealed at dinner one night that he had asked none other than Alyssa out on date and to his glee she had accepted. Taylor suspected that this news had come as a shock to Dr. Adler as well but the man's expression did not reveal anything nor did he say a word to his nephew.

For Taylor this development had raised another concern. She was not blind to the mutual attraction between the two and while she did feel a certain need to look out for Cole she did not see him as a suitable match for her friend. She gently massaged the side of her head as she allowed their conversation to play in her head.

"So, I hear you're going out with Jungle Boy?" she had asked when the two met up the morning following Cole's revelation.

"Do you really have to call him that?"

"Hmmm… Yes"

Alyssa shook her head at her friend's antics before turning away from her friend as they proceeded to walk down the stone path in her family's compound.

"It's just a date you know, it's not like I agreed to marry him or anything like that. Besides I like him, I find him… cute… funny… and innocent."

"Innocent?... geez Lyssa why don't you go out with a baby then?"

"It's not funny Taylor. You know what I meant… how many guys do you know that are considerate, that doesn't believe he knows everything and that see the world with such a unique perspective?"

"I think you mean childish," the blonde corrected.

"Tay I'm not like you. I don't have that many expectations from a guy and to be honest I'm not sure there is a guy out there who meets your expectations. And I'm not going to keep waiting for him to fall out of the sky. Cole may not be the most charming guy around but I find him refreshing. I know you look down on things like this but I don't have your strength. And maybe you're right things with Cole might not work out but so be it, at least I gave it a chance."

Taylor was silent as her petite friend spoke. Alyssa was not that little girl she had stood up for all those years ago. But despite her friend's argument she was still not ready to accept that it was actually happening. It was not so much Cole that worried her than the fact that he was hardly more than Adler's puppet and that was a man she didn't trust one bit.

"You're wrong you know," she finally spoke up.

"Huh?"

"About being strong. You don't need my strength you have your own. As for Cole I can't say I love the fact that you're going out with but if you really like him and want to give him a chance then I'm not going to stop you."

"Really?" Alyssa asked skeptically unused to see her friend back down so easily.

"Yeah, It's not like I was ever going to physically try and stop you. I just wanted to be sure that you actually wanted this and weren't just being nice to him. Frankly I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"Oh?"

"Were you expecting something else?"

"Well… it's just that… Cole told me about how he had promised your mom he was going to marry you and that he did like you and…"

She stopped short when the blonde started laughing.

"And you thought I was jealous. C'mon Lysaa give me a little more credit… and do remind me to deck that little rat, I told him to keep his trap shut about it."

"Huh?"

The two stopped by the main dojo where they could hear Alyssa's father calling out instructions to his students and sat down on the bench just outside.

"Rest assured Lys that I am not in any degree romantically interested in Cole. If you really want him he's all yours. Yes we did have a very uncomfortable conversation with regard to his feelings for me and a bizarre marriage proposal that I was completely in the dark about till he brought it up. The boy himself came to the conclusion that he likes you. So no I'm not jealous I just don't want you to get hurt."

"So you're okay with me going out with him?"

"No, not completely at least. I'll admit I still have my reservations about him but like you said it's just a date. Besides if he does hurt you he'll have to deal with me."

"Well sucker punches are your specialty," Alyssa teased.

The conversation had ended with the two of them laughing and though Taylor had let it go she couldn't help but worry about her friend. And Cole, Cole she actually felt sorry for. Her mother had been nothing but sweet and polite to him his arrival but his selection of a woman she deemed as plain and un-pretty over one of her own daughters saw him receiving a cold shoulder that rattled him. But since she was not in her mother's good books either there was not much she could do to help him. She hoped though that after she left some of the tension would diffuse.

Shifting into a more comfortable position she allowed her thoughts to drift from Alyssa to Jen. The only thing about the Stepford sisters that appealed to her was their genuine friendliness and concern for Jen. But that no longer mattered they – well at least Kimberely – had crossed the line. Though in Taylor's mind Leelee was no innocent bystander and the two sisters had sunk further in her opinion than she could ever imagine. If Jen had not forbidden it she would definitely have a bone to pick with them the next time their paths crossed, though for their sake she hoped it was a long, long time.

The cause of this renewed agitation was an email that arrived a short while ago. It read…

_Subject: Home at last_

_From: kimoliver _

_To: jen5_pink _

_Dearest Jenny,_

_I do hope my little message finds you well. _

_I can't tell you enough how happy I am to be back in Angel Grove. Tottering around Turtle Cove with you was fun but it is so refreshing to be back amidst the finesse and grandeur of my fair city. Everything here is so exciting and there's so much to do which is why I only found the time to write to you just now._

_Our departure was far too quick and left us with no time to say goodbye something I feel terrible about. However there was urgent business to attend to and so we packed up and left. Leelee told us the sad news of what happened to your friends, our prayers are with both Marcus and Scott._

_In happier news we are all well settled. Leelee of course has left for Turtle Cove with Eric to rendezvous with Maddie before they each return to school. Daddy is back at work and Tommy too has begun preparing for his lectures. Wes of course is busy sorting out contracts with Kat. Everything is blissfully well here and of course there is so much to do there is hardly any time to sit still._

_I do hope you can visit us sometime, I look forward to spending some time with you again._

_Sincerely,_

_Kimberly Collins Oliver_

Taylor ground her teeth as she remembered the effect the email had on her sister. It was simple yes and didn't carry any hurtful words but the fact that the mail had come from Kimberly and not Wes hit her hard. She had not heard from him since the night of the gala and the mail was an added sting especially since it barely made any mention of the person she wanted to know about most. And what was said was rather vague.

But to Jen it had meant something else. Jen had mentioned speaking to Kimberly sometime after the gala where the latter had mentioned something about Wes talking to his ex. Jen had refused to say anything more at that point but from her reaction Taylor was willing to bet that _Kat _was none other than the ex Kimberly spoke off.

She was certain that the elder Stepford had done it on purpose. Anyone and everyone who saw them together could tell that Wes and Jen were hopelessly and annoyingly in love with each other. His sisters had to know that he felt something for her sister. And the only explanation she could come up for this was that they were trying to put a wedge between them. She assumed that they had realized that Jen was more than some fling to their brother and that was not acceptable. They had someone better in mind for him, someone who better fit their standards and were prepared to whatever it took to protect the perfect life that they wanted.

Taylor had tried to share her thoughts with her sister in the hope that it would help her get over Wes but Jen would not hear it. She didn't talk about it but quickly sent a reply and let the subject drop – or at least pretended to. Taylor sighed much like she did when sitting on the back porch with Jen trying to talk to her.

Their mother was not too happy to hear this and could be heard grumbling about ungrateful daughters who were incapable of holding on to their men. But Jen, Taylor couldn't help but noticed was not treated to a cold shoulder and was instead heartily encouraged to have hope that it was all a misunderstanding and that if she talked to Wes it would all sort itself out.

For once Taylor agreed with her mother but Jen was far too embarrassed to be the first one to call or even send an email. But Mrs. Earhardt had once again proved just how relentless she was by constantly bringing up the subject and urging her eldest to pick up the phone.

"You're sister sure knows how to pick em'," Mr. Earhardt had stated one evening when he joined Taylor out on the front porch to escape his wife's constant chattering.

"Huh?" the blonde looked up from the book she was reading.

"First Alex and now this Wes character?" he explained making himself comfortable on one of the chairs.

"I thought you liked Wes?" she responded hesitantly unsure of where this conversation was going.

"I thought I liked Alex too… we all saw how that worked out," he sighed

"I did warn you guys about that one," she reminded.

"Yes you did. But what about Wes, you didn't see the need to warn us about him?"

"Honestly," her tone grew thoughtful as she shut her book and shifted in her seat.

"I actually thought he was a pretty stand up guy. I've never seen her like this with anyone, not even Alex though we can't forget she was a different person back then. But with Wes, I don't know he seemed smitten to me too but I could be wrong."

"But you don't think you are?"

"I have my theories but as Jen was so kind to remind me that's all they are."

"So you're sister has been crossed in love yet again," he sighed.

"I used to think that it was a good thing to have a few misses when it came to love. Made you stronger and more sensible as your grandmother used to say. But I look at Jen and then I'm not so sure. I do hope you're not planning to take a turn."

"Fat chance of that happening," she scoffed

"Don't be so sure dear, as far as marriage proposals go you are leading the race."

"Don't remind me," she groaned.

Mr. Earhardt chuckled at his daughter's reaction.

"Are you okay though? With all that's happened. No regrets?" he asked in a grievous tone.

"I thought you didn't want me to marry either of them?" she shot back with a hint of a smirk.

"I must confess darling that as your father it is my duty to find no man worthy enough to deserve your hand… Too much?"

"More like overkill," she laughed

"Perhaps but I think it had the desired effect," he replied looking into her smiling face.

"On a serious note, no I don't think you should marry either Scott or Cole. Cole… well I'm not even sure where the subject of Cole came from and I do not expect you to do something out of an unrealistic sense of duty to your family. As for Scott I would have preferred it if the boy had asked you out on a date first. But that aside your lack of romantic feelings for either of them doesn't mean you can completely escape the consequences of what happened. So I ask again, are you alright?"

Taylor smiled, this was what she loved about her dad, she didn't need a hammer and nail to get through to him. And even when he didn't quite get it he still had her back.

"I'm fine dad, a little confused maybe but I'm fine and I'll be even better in a few days when I no longer have to deal with the drama of it all."

"Ahh… yes, you leave in a couple of days. Well my little eagle I hate to break this to you but the drama will still be here when you get back."

"Maybe, but I can do with a break," she said wistfully allowing her eyes to stray away.

"Your mother will come around you know," he said warmly leaning forward to take her hand.

Taylor scoffed as she imagined her mother letting go of the fact that the one daughter she believed would never have any prospects where marriage was concerned actually turned down two proposals, albeit one of those couldn't actually be called a proposal.

"I don't know about that dad but you know me I don't let mum's madness get to me… too much"

"Good girl," he chuckled making her laugh as well.

"So what brought this on anyways? You usually prefer to be ignorant of the guys we're dating."

"Taylor, is there something you want to tell me?" he asked suspiciously but simply received a look that said 'don't change the subject'.

"I don't know really. I suppose this thing with Jen and Wes that has your mother all riled up just got me thinking. And I suppose a little worried to. I'm getting too old for this," he groaned leaning back in his chair.

Taylor smiled and leaned forward

"Hate to break it you old man but you have five daughters."

Coming back to the present Taylor chuckled at the memory wondering how her dad was going to cope with all the drama once she was gone. Speaking of which it was not quite as done with as she had imagined. Over the past week she had been spending as much time with Mike and Sky as she could but that was fairly limited seeing as Mike had to work and Sky was occupied with his dad. And to her great surprise she found herself in conversation with Lucas Kendall more often.

Lucas it appeared had appealed greatly to her aunt Toxica and at Marah and Kapri's insistence their aunt had lured him to their house. Mrs. Earhardt took a shine to him immediately and Marah and Kapri fawned over him shamelessly. Mr. Earhardt too listened to his racing tales with interest. And so Lucas hand become a regular feature at their home and under the attention of the four women became a little bolder in his tales.

For her part Taylor found it amusing especially when he retold the same story of his acquaintance with Eric to them and received enthusiastic responses from the two elderly women. Mrs. Earhardt had never claimed to like Eric, she merely tolerated him because of Wes but with nothing holding her back she made her low opinion of him very clear.

On the weekend the Earhardts received a surprise in the form of Mrs. Earhardt's sister-in-law Shayla and her son Kite. Mrs. Earhardt's brother was a vet in Silver Hills and the couple were Taylor's favourite relatives. She had always gotten along well with them and was especially close to her aunt. As her uncle couldn't leave because of work her aunt and cousin had dropped in for a visit before she returned to the base.

On the day of her arrival poor Shayla had to listen to her sister-in-law's woes especially those concerning Taylor and her marriage proposals. The blonde in question made it a point to make herself scarce. It was useless she thought as she had already told her aunt everything.

The following day and Taylor's last at home the blonde decided to save her aunt from her mother's weepy tales and convinced the elder woman to go into the city with her while Marah and Kapri entertained twelve-year-old Kite.

"So how is Jen holding up?" Shayla had asked

"She says she's fine but you know Jen she likes to bottle things up," Taylor remarked as they leisurely strolled down the street.

"I see, she'll get over it though I'm sure," she said with confidence.

"I hope so. I've never seen her take to someone so quickly. You should have seen them together, they would forget about everyone and everything else. And he was genuinely worried about her when she was hurt. She was even starting to be more of herself."

"And you didn't feel the need to punch him or hurt him in any other way?" Shayla asked with a smile forcing her niece to frown.

"Who told you about that?" she asked

"You are not my only niece, you know?"

"So Marah or Kapri then?"

"Leave it be. That uh…incident aside, your intentions are similar towards all your sisters' suitors whether you act on them or not."

"True but no I did not feel like punching Wes. Though if I were to see him now it would be quite a different story."

"Do try and restrain yourself dear, from what I hear Mr. Collins has become quite close to your father."

"I'll try but no promises," she laughed as she tried to imagine what her reaction would be to passing Wes on the street.

"I was thinking of asking Jen to come back to Silver Hills with me. Perhaps a change of scene might do her some good. Help clear her head," Shayla suggested.

"I think getting away from mom for the moment would be the best thing for her. But I don't know about work so you'll have to ask her."

Shayla nodded as the two of them turned towards the park while Taylor fell into silent thought about Jen running into Eric or maybe even Wes there. But she shook it off, the chances were unlikely.

"So is there anything you want to tell me?"

Her aunt's voice shook her out of her reverie and forced the blonde to look up at the elder woman with confusion in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

Shayla gave her a sly smile, one the blonde knew very well and made her dread what was coming next.

"What does the name Lucas Kendall mean to you?"

"What?" Taylor exclaimed as she stopped short.

"Aunt Shay where exactly are you going with this?"

"Don't play dumb Taylor. You know full well what I'm trying to ask you and I expect an answer."

"This is turning out a lot like my conversation with Jen," the blonde groaned.

"Oh so Jen noticed something too. This is a lot worse that I thought," Shayla teased.

"What does that even mean?" questioned the blonde.

"I'm just trying to gauge your feelings for him, that's all. I've haven't been here very long and can still tell that you enjoy having him around."

"I guess I do," Taylor admitted.

"He's easy to talk to and we like a lot of the same things but that doesn't mean that I'm in love with him," she stated.

"I never said you were. I merely sense that you have a strong attachment to Mr. Kendall and that I suppose is worrisome."

"Worrisome?"

"You said yourself that you don't love him but you do like him and that could very well turn into something more in the future."

"Which I suppose you're trying to tell me is a bad thing?"

The duo fell quite for a moment as they continued their stroll. As they neared a pond and Shayla took her niece's hand and led her to a stone bench. Sitting down she patted down the creases on her white sundress before staring up at the calm surface of the water. For her part Taylor simply watched her aunt waiting for her to say her piece but patience was not something she had a lot of these days…

"Well…?"

"Look Taylor you're not a rebellious teenager and have more sense than to fall for someone simply because you're told not to. So, I'm going to be frank with you. I don't have anything against Lucas, he seems like quite the intriguing young man but there's something about him that makes me feel uneasy."

"Generally or just the stuff about Eric?"

"I'm not sure. The Myers family is well known in Silver Hills and Lucas' description of the late Mr. Myers is quite on par with what I've heard but…"

"…Everything else makes you feel a little queasy," Taylor finished for her.

"Not the words I would have used but in a sense yes. Surely he went through something with the family, that I don't doubt but to what extent he's being honest… well I just can't bring myself to believe that it is all true. It is after all only one side of the story."

"I guess we'll never know for sure then. His royal pompousness doesn't feel the need to contradict any argument made against him."

Shayla looked aghast as she turned to her niece.

"You didn't ask him, did you?"

"Not directly, actually I barely brought up the subject when he decided to put an end to all discussions on the subject."

"Really, must be a mind reader then?"

"I doubt it. It's more like he doesn't want to associate himself with anything moderately concerned with Lucas. The moment the subject came up he put an end to it."

"It sounds like the two of you were having quite the discussion," Shayla prodded.

And Taylor was back in the ballroom staring up into Eric's eyes, she could feel the pressure of his hand on her waist and the gentle hold on her own as he led her across the dance floor. A tinge of red crept into her cheeks as replayed their conversation in her head, but whether form anger or embarrassment she wasn't sure.

"You could say that," she admitted when she noticed her aunt watching her closely.

"But I guess none of it really matters anymore," she added in an attempt to change the subject.

"And why is that?" asked Shayla, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Because chances are I will never have to deal with Eric again. And as for Lucas, you have nothing to worry about. He's fun to hang out with now and then but he's not the kind of guy I could be in a relationship with."

"I see, so I should stop worrying then?"

"That would be wise," she smiled back at her aunt before the two shared a good laugh over the whole thing.

As she crawled back into her room Taylor had to smile thinking about her aunt and was glad she had someone like her to talk to every now and then. She cast a glance at her still sleeping sister with a smile before giving her uniform a final check with what little light she had. She then grabbed her duffel bag and hat and left the room.

She had said her goodbyes the previous night, not wanting to disturb everyone because of her early call in time but there was one person she knew would be waiting for her. She couldn't help the smile that wound its way onto her face as made her way downstairs and found her father waiting by door. Setting her bag down she hugged him.

"Be safe my little eagle," he murmured gently.

"I'm not so little anymore," she reminded him

"That is a matter of perspective," he challenged before picking up her bag and opening the door.

Waiting outside for was a surprise she never expected. There in a shiny black SUV sat Mike with Sky leaning against the hood.

"Your 'brothers' insisted on dropping you off. Something about needing to grill you about something on the way. I thought it was best to let them have their way this time around."

"Yeah Earhardt, we can't let you go without a proper send off," Sky laughed as he took her bag from her father.

"Bye dad," she hugged him again before following Sky back to the car.

"Bye darling, be safe," he called back before adding, "And boys make sure she gets there in one piece."

"Yes sir," Mike saluted as the other two strapped into the car.

With final waves and longing looks Mike shifted the car into gear and drove down the driveway as the quiet of dawn once again engulfed the Earhardt estate.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. Hope it wasn't confusing. Please do review and let me know what you think.<p>

Till next time…


	29. Plausible Denial

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews and messages. Sorry about the wait, got caught up with work again.

Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter 29**_**: Plausible Denial**_

Eric took a deep breath as he stepped out onto the back porch of his family's manor, his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his sweatshirt. The silence that enveloped him in the early hours of the morning was haunting and for the first time he found himself missing the fury of noise that came with city life.

The Myers estate was located about an hour's drive outside the city of Silver Hills. Apart from a sprawling mansion it housed an orchard, stables and luscious gardens amongst others. In comparison to life in the city this was a whole new world. When his parents were alive it played host to hundreds of people but now it was all but empty.

After taking over his father's company Eric had moved into an apartment in the city along with his sister to make things a little easier for them – though they did drive down every other weekend. There was something about their old house that they couldn't quite let go off. But despite its owners trotting off to the city the house remained as elegant, majestic and impeccable as always thanks to the ever loyal and loving staff the late Mrs. Myers had entrusted her home too.

In addition Eric had decided to open up his family's rather large art collection to the public on certain days of the week as well as rented out the stables to a local riding school when needed and made provisions for free riding lessons for kids from the various orphanages in the city. When his sister asked why he simply replied that the art was just sitting there so he might as well allow people who were interested in that kind of stuff enjoy it. As for the stables and riding lessons his answer was simply that their mother would have approved.

"Well at least the house has some company. It must get awfully lonely without us," Madison had said. And though he had laughed at the time he was glad that someone was able to enjoy what his parents had built.

A rustling sound caught his attention and he proceeded down into the backyard to investigate what turned out to be two German shepherds locked in a playful wrestling match.

"Rex, Seal," he called patting his knee.

The two dogs stopped what they were doing and looked up before charging. And despite himself Eric couldn't help but laugh when the two monsters tried to tackle him. He lowered himself to the ground to play with the dogs. But the little terrors, as he often called them had plans of their own and once they had said their hellos took off across the yard.

Left on his own the silence once again washed over him opening his mind to a barrage of thoughts that were enough to make his head spin. Lying back on the grass he closed his eyes trying to let go of everything but his mind had other plans it seemed. With a listless sigh he looked up at the clear sky overhead and replayed everything that happened since his return.

Their departure from Turtle Cove was not quite what he had expected. Wes' sudden departure over his increasingly awkward situation with Jen caused a bit of stir with their plans but he had managed to settle things before he and his uncle left. After spending a day sorting out matters with his uncle in Angel Grove he took the earliest flight back home.

From the airport he drove straight to the estate where Madison had decided she wanted to spend the rest of her vacation. The drive was a long one but it gave him enough time to push some of his more disconcerting thoughts to the back of his mind and enjoy the fact that he was back home and would finally be able to spend some time with his little sister. As expected he was greeted by an excited Madison at the door followed by their highly amused butler.

"Eric!" Madison squealed in delight as she ran to hug her brother.

"Hey kiddo," he replied with a smile ruffling her hair like he used to when they were kids.

"I'm not a kid anymore," she complained as she swatted his hand away before pulling out her video camera and aiming it at him.

"So, how was it? What's Turtle Cove like? How did the press conference go? And the gala? And the guardians, how are they shaping up?"

"Now, now Miss Madison, perhaps it would be better if we allow your brother to enter first. I'm sure he won't object to being interviewed after he's settled in."

"Alright," the sprightly young woman conceded before snapping her camera shut and turning to walk away.

"I'll be waiting"

"Thanks Spencer," said Eric as he shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to the elder man who titled his head with a smile.

"How're things here?"

"Uneventful"

"I suppose that's a good thing." Eric mused and he picked up his suitcase, one of the few things he insisted on doing himself.

"That Master Eric would be a matter of perspective. However I do believe that if anyone has a tale to tell here it's you."

"Always have to be right, don't you?"

Spencer had smiled and turned away to tend to numerous other tasks leaving him to trudge up the stairs on his own. Forty five minutes later Eric found himself trudging back down the stairs in search of his sister, the gift he had bought her tucked safely in the pocket of his tracks.

The muffled sounds of the television led him to his late father's den where he found Madison curled up on the couch fiddling with her camera as a movie played in the background. From the look of it he deduced that it was one of those fantasy-adventure flicks she loved.

"So what are we watching?" he asked as plopped down on the couch next to her.

"You can pick, I just put something in while waiting," she replied without looking up.

"Oh…I see, you had no idea I'd be too lazy to get up now, would you?" he said sluggishly as he propped his feet on the table in front of the couch. It was no secret that he didn't care too much for movies. And so long as Madison didn't make him watch romantic comedies she could have free reign as far as he was concerned.

Madison's reply came in the form of a mischievous smile as she set her camera aside as she turned to face her brother.

"Well…" she said expectantly looking at him with eager eyes.

"Well… what?" he countered stifling a yawn as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Let's see it," she demanded.

"See what?" he played dumb.

"Eric" she scolded playfully.

"Remind me never to say anything to Leelee again," he grumbled as he reached into his pocket to pull out a small black felt pouch.

"I doubt it would make a difference. Being nosy is her super power"

"And apparently so is being a tattle tale," he mumbled as he handed over the pouch to his sister.

"Nah, I think you mean gossip. But that's not really a super power, plenty of people are. All you need is plenty of time and you're good to go."

As he watched Madison slowly pry open the pouch and shift its contents on to her palm he thought back to some of the people he met in Turtle Cove, Mrs. Earhardt and Mrs. Truman topping the list with Kimberly and Leelee not far behind as he realised how true his sister's words were.

A delighted squeal reached his ears and before it could even register he found himself being enveloped in a neck-wrenching hug.

"I take it you like your present," he chuckled as he gave the girl a gentle squeeze before pulling away.

"I love it," Madison exclaimed as she examined the intricate aquamarine mermaid pendant dangling off a delicate silver chain.

"I was a little sceptical when Leelee told me you bought my present from a rundown shack run by a raggedy old woman. But this is amazing, I absolutely love it. Thank you."

She hugged him again and this time he laughed louder as he digested Leelee's description of the antique store.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to take Leelee's word at face value. Geez, where does that girl come up with these things," he wondered.

"So you didn't get this from a creepy old woman in the middle of nowhere?"

"More like an antique store in the middle of town, one you would have loved actually. And Clare the girl who sold it to me is barely a few years older than you. A little quirky maybe but there was nothing creepy or raggedy about her."

Madison fell back into the couch laughing as she held up her gift. It was just like her cousin to say something like that. But thinking back she realised that Leelee had sounded rather crabby or at least more so than normal when they spoke. Sitting up with a bemused smile she looked over at her brother. Something happened in Turtle Cove and she was going to find out.

"Pray tell me Miss Madison, what is so funny?" Spencer asked as he walked into the room carrying a tray of lemonade.

"Feet off the table Master Eric," he instructed bestowing his charge with a stern gaze until he complied.

"Nothing much Spence, just wondering what goes on in Leelee's brain sometimes," Madison answered with a smiled.

Confused Spencer looked from Madison to Eric but received only a shrug in reply.

"Look what Eric bought me," Madison piped up holding up the necklace for Spencer to see.

"It's beautiful," the butler exclaimed as he set the tray down on the table and examined it himself.

"Did you buy this yourself?" he asked in mock doubt eliciting a snigger from Madison.

"I can buy my sister a gift without any help thank you," Eric grumbled.

"A pretty girl named Clare helped him pick it out," Madison teased.

"I see," Spencer played along.

"She sold it to me, so yes she did help me in that sense. And I believe I said quirky not pretty," Eric challenged.

"Maybe be but usually when you run into a "quirky" salesperson you walk out of the store saying they lacked professional etiquette. So my guess is she had to be pretty."

"Because that is the answer to everything"

"Isn't it?" Spencer prodded. He more than anybody knew that Eric was not easily taken in by a pretty face however what Madison and just pointed out of her brother was also very true, which meant that there was definitely more to the story.

"I… Let's just say I've begun to see things a little differently," Eric offered hoping the other two would drop the subject. He did not want to delve into what happened that day.

Madison and Spencer shared a confused look. They both knew he was holding out on them but also knew him well enough to take the hint. With a shrug they both turned back to him and as Spencer took a seat nearby Madison recalled her questions about Turtle Cove.

Though they had spoken over the phone and Eric had written to her on numerous occasions Madison was full of questions and he found himself recalling his trip since their arrival in Turtle Cove right until his departure though he was careful to cut out certain details. On their part Madison and Spencer listened in rapt attention as he told them about the Krugers, the Trumans, the summer ball, the Silver Guardians setup, the press conference and the gala.

"So Wes really likes this Jen girl, huh?" Madison asked as Spencer ushered the two of them into the small dining room for lunch.

The question startled Eric slightly as he lowered himself into his seat. He had been so careful to omit certain parts of his story he unintentionally revealed a little too much about Wes'. Story time with Madison he decided, as he carefully crafted an answer. was dangerous. She had pulled him so far into something he was willing to forget only hours ago that he didn't notice time slip past them.

"I think he does," he said finally. "I can honestly say I haven't seen him this entranced with a woman… ever. But don't say a word about it. It's a complicated situation, one he needs to figure out for himself."

"It's always complicated when it comes to Wes and women," Madison complained as she served herself some salad.

"I wish he'd just find a nice girl who understood him and wasn't intimidated by Kim and Lee. What's Jen like?"

"She's the conscientious kind," he replied.

"Is she pretty?"

Eric conjured up an image of the brunette in his mind. Her features were definitely striking and she carried herself very well and even he found it hard to ignore her when they first met.

"You could say that"

"What does she do?"

"Designs clothes, or something like that?" he said nonchalantly.

"Cool, she sounds nice. If Wes likes her he should definitely try to figure out his "complicated situation". And her sister sounds really cool too."

Eric chocked on his chicken and immediately reached for his napkin as Spencer assisted him with a pat on the back.

"What?" he asked after taking a drink of water.

"Are you alright?" she asked

"Fine, what did you say?"

Madison gazed and her brother suspiciously before looking past him at Spencer who stood just behind his chair. When the butler nodded she turned her attention back to her brother and repeated her statement.

"I said, her sister seems kinda cool, you know…uh… Taylor… I think you said. Yeah, she sounds awesome. The way she rescued her sister at the motor track, she must be really brave."

"More like careless," Eric murmured as he remembered the incident and more specifically remembered Taylor sitting by her sister's side ignoring her own injury.

The rest of the meal passed in silence and Eric hoped that his sister had had her fill of Turtle Cove, he wasn't sure his head could take much more of a trip down memory lane. And much to his delight Madison had let the subject rest or so it seemed.

Later that evening while browsing through some of the pictures Wes had sent her she couldn't help but smile as she saw various images of her brother in a number of poses all caught on Wes' camera. Albeit most of them were at work she did spot of a few of them that indicated he might just have had some fun as well. As was common for Wes there were hundreds of pictures of himself, with his sisters, his dad, Tommy, people she didn't know and to her surprise several with a beautiful brunette. As she swiped through the barrage of images one in particular caught her attention and a curious smile found its way to her lips.

There was nothing spectacular about the image but the four people in it painted quite the picture. It was taken against and oldish looking house. There were three people in the foreground and a fourth standing somewhere at the back his arms casually folded over his chest and a smirk plastered on his face – that was her brother. Standing in front was Wes with a broad grin on his face his arm wrapped around the pretty brunette she had seen in so many of the pictures. She too had a smile on her face and appeared to be pulling third person into the frame, a blonde woman with striking blue eyes. And she couldn't help but notice that her brother's eyes seemed to be fixed on the blonde.

She looked up when she heard her brother and Spencer walk into the library where she was huddled up. A frown marred her face when she saw both of them carrying large boxes.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy," she said sternly as she marched up to the duo.

"Oh… hey Mads, didn't think you'd be here," Eric replied ignoring the disapproving look she had fixed on him as set his box down on a table.

"The young Miss is right Master Eric, you only did just fly in today," Spencer reminded as he followed suit with his own box.

"From Angle Grove, not half way across the globe. I'm fine. Besides I meant to get this done before I left, so I might as well get this done before I get too busy again," He countered as he peeled off the tape of one of the boxes and began pulling out the books that were neatly packed into it.

Madison looked over at Spencer who simply shrugged as got to work on the second box. The young girl shook her head in resignation, there was no stopping her brother once he put his mind to something to matter how mundane the task.

For a minute she watched them work, transferring the books they had brought in to one of the shelves he had cleared out before he left. Why Eric insisted on doing things like this by himself when there plenty of people in the house to do it for him she would never understand. But it was one of the things she admired about him most.

Glancing at her phone she realised that the picture she was looking at earlier was still on display. A mischievous smirk reminiscent of Eric's own made its way to her face. After all there was nothing she loved more than badgering her brother while he was engrossed in one of his silly tasks. And without wasting another second she leapt into action.

"Hey Eric," she said jumping in front of him as she shoved the phone in his face and startling him in the process.

"Whoa there kiddo," he said taking a step back as he regained his balanced catching one of the books that slipped out of his hand.

"Is that Jen?"

Shaking his head at his sister's insistence Eric took a closer look at the picture on the phone that was now held up to his face. All traces of amusement were wiped clear from his expression as his eyes widened and the books he held slid to the floor.

"Eric?"

"…"

"Eric… is everything alright?"

"Uh… yeah… What did you ask me again?" he said as he knelt down to pick up the books he'd dropped.

"The brunette in this picture… is she Jen?... You know the one Wes likes," she reminded glancing at the picture once again.

"Yeah… that's her," he mumbled as he walked over to one of the shelves.

"She's pretty," Madison pointed out as she showed the picture to Spencer. "She and Wes look good together."

"Don't you have better things to do?"

"At the moment… hmmm… not really. Who's the blonde, she's really pretty too?"

Eric hesitated that was the last thing he wanted to talk about but knowing Madison there was no way he was getting out it.

"That's Jen's sister," he said in the most aloof tone he could muster.

"Is it Taylor, the one you told me about earlier?"

Eric nodded without turning to face his sister silently pleading that she would let the subject drop already.

"Wow, so she's brave and pretty. I really would love to meet her."

"Why?"

Eric's harsh tone took both Madison and Spencer by surprise. It was a harmless statement that shouldn't have rattled any nerves. Not unless there was more to it that Eric was willing to let on, something the other two were turning highly suspicious of.

"Can you tell me more about her?" Madison prodded

"Yes Master Eric, I'm quite intrigued by this young lady myself. Do tell us something more?" he asked with a clear voice and a secret smile on his lips.

"What do you want to know? She's by far the most insufferable woman I've ever met, unless of course you count her mother but that woman is in a league of her own."

Eric had drifted off between the shelves so they were only privy to his voice. However as good as he was at hiding his feelings from outsiders there was an unmistakeable tell in his voice that the other were very familiar with.

"That's a rather harsh description Master Eric, how so?"

"She's stubborn, careless, says whatever she's thinking and has absolutely no sense of self preservation," Eric replied without hesitation.

Once again he took Madison and Spencer completely by surprise. What started out as a little teasing game turned out to be a lot more grounded. And this realisation made both very happy, a feeling that was reflected in their knowing smiles.

"You know bro," said Madison as he weaved through the shelves so that she was now facing her brother. "It sounds like you really like this girl."

"I concur," Spencer added as joined them with a fresh stack of books.

"And I think you're both off your rockers," Eric stated adamantly as he grabbed a couple of the books Spencer now held and placed them on the nearest shelf.

"Eric listen to yourself, you've never described a girl like that before, ever. They're always, 'nice', 'okay' or 'a bit of bore really'," Madison stated imitating her brothers haughty tone.

The teasing continued for a little longer until Eric and had enough and turned on the two with a vicious snap – that he later apologised for – that left both of them mum until he left the room.

Over the next couple of days Madison didn't dare tease her brother about Taylor but that didn't stop her from pestering him for more details about the blonde. She was fascinated by this fierce, independent woman that had caught her brother's eye and wanted to know more about her. And as he recalled all that he knew about Taylor with the addition of things he had heard from Mike, Sky and Mayor Kruger he found himself unable to relinquish the blonde from his thoughts.

In the short time that he had known her Taylor had had shown him so many different sides of her and yet still had so many walls he wasn't able to see past. And as he looked back on all the encounters he'd had with her he couldn't help but smile. From interrupting their experiment at the ball to fearlessly jumping in to save her sister to the night they spent in near silence at the beach house to dancing with her at the gala to watching her knock Drake out with a single punch and everything in between Taylor Earhardt was the only woman who infuriated him yet allured him at the same time.

And as he lay there on the grass in the early hours of the morning staring up into nothing he could picture her fierce eyes and mischievous smirk. The memory of that uncomfortable feeling that crept up his spine when she got too close to Mike, Sky or any of her other numerous male friends especially the blonde she was with at the concert made his fists clench. And as Madison's teasing words rang through his head he chuckled. He didn't know how or when but he now knew as sure day and no matter how hard he tried to fight it he didn't just like Taylor Earhardt he was in love with her.

As another chuckle escaped his lips his eyes met the bemused expression of Spencer standing over him with a tray in his hands.

"Spencer? What brings you out here so early?" he asked sitting up.

"I thought you could do with some coffee," said the older man bending slightly to offer Eric the mug that sat on the tray.

"Ahh… you are a lifesaver," said Eric gratefully accepting the steaming mug.

"May I ask what was so funny?" asked the butler as he settled himself on the grass besides his charge.

"It's nothing really," he answered after a pause.

"Is that so?" Spencer countered

"It really is nothing. I just came to terms with something I've been battling for a while and I'm not sure how to feel about it."

"Would this have anything to do with Miss Earhardt?"

"Spencer!"

"You can deny it all you want but your sister is right. You do have some kind of feelings for this young woman. And I may not have met her in person but she certainly has you enamoured and not in a… well let's call it the traditional way."

Eric took a sip of his coffee before turning to his caretaker and friend with a sad smile.

"Spence I think the fact that I can't seem to get her out of my head and had the urge to beat the crap of any guy that got too close to her speaks volumes about my so called feelings. But if they don't I'm going to spell it out, I think I'm in love with her."

"Well that certainly isn't a crime and neither is wanting to be happy."

"I was… no I am perfectly happy with the way things are now…."

"You know Eric your sister would want you to be happy, she would never want you to put your life on hold for her," Spencer explained knowing that Eric's major and primary concern would always be Madison.

Hearing Spencer use his name only threw Eric off balance as he had been trying to get the older man to do so for years but failed miserably. He understood where he was coming from but didn't know how to explain his dilemma. Yes Madison was the most important person in his life and he was always weary of bringing someone new into the life they had built but he was certain that Taylor and Madison would get along just fine.

"I can't be in love with her," he stated.

"Master Eric admitting how you feel is a big step for you why are you fighting this so hard?"

"I… I just can't be in love with her," he stated again.

"Is it because her family isn't as well off as yours?"

"Like that matters to me," Eric scoffed

"Then perhaps it is her risky choice of career?"

"She wouldn't be the person she is if she wasn't flying. I would never want to change that about her. Besides her job has nothing to do with it."

"Then tell me why you're fighting something you've already admitted to yourself?"

For a moment he was transported back to the hospital and more specifically to the hallway outside Scott's room with his hand on the door and one foot over the threshold with eager parents standing behind him.

As he came back to the present he was aware of Spencer watching him expectantly. Sure he knew that he liked Taylor but the thought of them as couple was daunting. His first thought was that they would probably end up killing each other. But just as he had gotten over that he was faced with another fact one he could ignore. It had been playing on his mind ever since he left Turtle Cove and now he faced the prospect of saying it out loud.

"Because she's marrying someone else."

* * *

><p>That's it for now. I hope the conversations weren't too awkward. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can improve them.<p>

Please review and let me know what you think.

Till next time….


	30. Dear Taylor

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews and messages

Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 30: **_**Dear Taylor**_

As Summer gave way to Autumn Taylor found herself far from home somewhere outside the city of Briarwood. She had been selected for a special overseas operation and had thus been transferred to Briarwood for training. It was a big change of scenery for her but she was reveling in it.

For the past two weeks she had been undergoing intense physical and resistance training along with Summer, a friend from her academy days; Gia, who was on her squad at Turtle Cove; Zhane, a senior officer from Harwood County; Kevin and Kai, pararescuemen who had recently returned from a tour in Iraq and to her surprise Sky.

They were good mix personalities and had more than a few hiccups when they first met but after three weeks of training and living together they had finally begun to work as a team. The mission itself was still pretty much a mystery to them. They had been briefed on the basics when they accepted the assignment but were told that the rest would be revealed bit by bit as their training progressed. Commander Logan and Dr K were hard task masters but despite it all she was excited. The only downside was that they had been grounded for almost three weeks but with the prospect of flight training kicking off in a few days things were definitely looking up.

At the moment she was returning to the dormitories from a check-up in the medical wing and was looking forward to some downtime.

"Man was today grueling," a muffled voice echoed from behind a closed door.

Taylor smiled as she pushed open the door to her room to find her roommates already there. Gia was sitting on her bed dressed in sweats stretching out her muscles, obviously still recovering from the day's training. Summer on the other hand was seated at one of the two desks in their room pouring over a manual.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Summer asked as Taylor walked in.

"Good news, I'm one healthy bird… at least according to Dr K" she replied.

Summer burst into laughter while Gia gave her a skeptical look.

"And those were her exact words," she said suspiciously

"Funny enough… yeah… She's in a really weird mood today, it's almost like she's happy about something," Taylor replied as she made her way to the empty desk and pulled her laptop out of her bag.

"Are we talking about the same Dr. K who's been torturing us since we got here?" asked Gia.

"Stranger things could happen," Summer suggested with a smile.

"Well they can happen later, right now I need a nap. Wake me up before you head down for dinner," Gia finished off with a yawn as she lay down on her bed and turned over on her side. Summer and Taylor shared a smile before the former went back to her manual leaving Taylor to plug in her laptop to the base's secure network line. They had limited access to the internet while on base and she wanted to use the time she had to check on what was going on with her family and friends. And right enough as she pulled up her email there was a long list of unread emails filling up her inbox. Jen and their dad were the usual suspects as was Mike but there were also mails from Alyssa, her aunt Shayla and even Hunter.

She let out a low whistle as she maneuvered her cursor over to her father's letter, hopefully if she worked fast enough she could answer them all before dinner. It read…

_My little eagle,_

_I know you're happy doing what you love best though I wish you would tell me more about this new assignment of yours. But I suppose you know what you're doing and I trust that you'll take care of yourself._

_Everything at home is good, your sisters are getting along well. I must say I enjoying the quiet and the use of my study now that Viktor and Cole have taken their leave. Your mother is quite excited to have them gone as well. And speaking of your mother she and Elle are back to their old ways so don't let her guilt trip you into making hasty decisions. Be warned that your little proposal scandal is still fresh in her mind. _

_On that note, I can't tell you if Scott is broken hearted or not but he has been discharged from the hospital and has begun his physiotherapy. Marcus' condition I'm afraid has not changed. I also heard that Schuyler has been recruited as part of your team, that's good news, at least you'll have some company. Rose also has good news. She's been offered a position at Cambridge which I believe she's inclined to take._

_That's all the news on the home front, if there's anything else you'd like to know I'm afraid you will have to ask your mother. Take care little one._

_Love,_

_Dad_

That was just like her father, a clean cut report of what was going on at home with no long winding explanations or chit-chat. So Cole and Dr. Adler had left, she couldn't help but wonder if they had found what they were looking for or if that was the last she would hear of them. And Scott, he had already gotten to work with his rehab, she hoped it all worked out for him. As for Marcus there was nothing she could do or say other than send up a silent prayer hoping that he would pull through.

She typed out a quick reply to her father before moving on to the next message which was from Jen.

_Dearest Tay,_

_I hope you're doing well and staying out of trouble. I'm much better now and though I'm back home I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my trip to Silver Hills. It's a beautiful city, so full of life and colour. Aunt Shayla and uncle Merrick are doing great as is little Kite. It was great to spend some time with them away from the chaos that usually ensues at home._

_It was a good change of pace and has inspired a whole new collection that I've already started working on. I'm sure you would love it there too. We definitely must visit when you're home next. This next part is something I debated over for a while before putting into writing. I can almost hear your reaction before I even begin. But the thing is you're the only one I can talk to about this so here goes…_

_I ran into Kimberly while I was out shopping on my own and ended up having coffee with her. Now before you fly off the handle, she asked me and I couldn't possibly turn her down. That would have been far too rude for my taste. Besides despite everything we'd discussed I still saw her as a friend._

_But now I'm not so sure. She was polite and appeared to be pleasantly surprised to see me, but there was something forced about her countenance. She inquired about everyone at home and we spoke about Marcus and Scott. Apparently she was there on business representing her father at a meeting held at Eric's company's headquarters. It seems Wes is currently in Australia with a friend from college, the one Kimberly mentioned in her previous letter, Katherine, sorting out proposals. According to Kim it's more of personal tip rather than business and she seems quite content with the outcome she has predicted._

_I suppose this is her way of telling me that he's moving on or that there was never really anything between us. And though it hurts I think it's time I let go of all of this too. I know you wanted me to talk to Wes before making any decisions and I was going to call him if he didn't call me soon but talking to Kimberly has made me realise that I would only be making an even bigger fool of myself. _

_I know you may not approve but I've decided as hard as it is for me I'm going to put this behind me and move forward. After all I have a lot of new and exciting things to look forward too. I'm sure dad has written to you about how things are faring at home so I won't bore you with those details though I'm pretty sure he forgot to mention that he misses you and your sarcasm. _

_Take care of yourself little sister, hopefully I'll see you soon._

_Lots of love,_

_Jen_

"Everything alright?" Summer asked when she heard a low growl escape Taylor lips and turned to find her teammate glaring at her laptop.

"Fine," she replied dryly. "My sister just had some upsetting news."

"Nothing too bad I hope."

"No, I don't think so… I suppose it's for the best anyways," she gave Summer a reassuring smile before turning back to the screen.

Even now Kimberly Oliver was still getting on her nerves. She hated that Jen had to go through all of this on her own and wondered what happened between Jen and Katie for her sister to lose faith in the latter as a confidant. As far as she knew Jen and Katie shared a similar relationship to her own with Alyssa. Though she did have her suspicions about a little jealousy on Katie's part she was certain that taking the Stepfords out of the equation would have solved the problem but she guessed that it wasn't the case. It was something she would have to look into when she got home.

As for the Wes and Jen problem, she wished her sister wouldn't give up without speaking to Wes directly but she understood. Jen had been hurt badly once because she didn't see what was right in front of her. It was no secret to anyone that there was something between the two but if Wes was going to be a flake – at least that was the picture his sister painted of him – there was no way Jen was going to risk being ridiculed for seeing something that wasn't there. To Taylor it was clear there was a lot more to this story than the parties involved were letting on but for now she would have to respect her sister's decision. It was Jen's life and she had no business butting in when she was miles away, unable to support her sister.

The one good thing that came out of it all was that Jen was once again inspired to do her own thing and Taylor couldn't wait to see what she came up with. It was definitely on a much happier note that she shot back a reply and moved on the next letter. This one was from Mike.

_Hey Tay,_

_Hope you're not giving your commanding officers too much of a hard time. Gotta level with you this special op sounds a little funky to me and I don't mean that in a good way. But I suppose its part of the job and as long as it involves flying you're good. Besides you and Sky are a great team so I'm going put the worrying off till later. Just make sure both of you come home in one piece._

_Turtle Cove's as boring as ever, we had a few brake-ins and a home invasion downtown but the police handled it so there's not much for the guardians to do as yet other that work on the private contracts we've already signed. Leo's decided to sign up for the guardians too… go figure… so that should be interesting. I never thought I'd be working with my brother let alone be his CO but he's gotta make it through training first, Eric's screening process is pretty intense. Jack and Z have signed up as well though I'm pretty sure Z strong-armed him into giving it a shot. Sure gave your pal Danny a shock though. Speaking of whom Kendal asked me to let you know that they're finally officially going out. Other than that there's really not much to report._

_Maya sends her love and is looking forward to spending some time with you once you get back. Just make sure you keep your trap shut about the really embracing stuff and we're good. We haven't set a date for the wedding yet – something both our moms feel the need to point out every day – but sometime late next year is looking good but will let you know when we finally take a call. You better make sure you're there with all limbs intact, I can't get married without my best girl._

_But seriously Tay be careful. I know you've heard this millions or times from hundreds of people but I'm going to say it again. You're tough but a little careless when it comes to personal safety. So keep you head in the game, take care of your team and stay on guard. You can't help anyone if you're injured yourself._

_But that's enough of that. Have fun flying and show them what you're made of._

_See you soon,_

_Mike _

Classic Mike signing off each of his letters with a reminder for her to be careful, even her dad didn't feel the need to do that. But considering the number of scrapes they'd gotten in together it wasn't all that odd that he felt the need to drop in a reminder from time to time. Definitely less unusual than them talking about weddings but she supposed that couldn't be helped when you were actually involved in one.

So Leo, Jack and Z were joining the Silver Guardians. That was interesting. She was much less surprised to hear about Leo than Mike appeared to be. The two brothers were more alike than they realised albeit Leo didn't have as much patience with rules like Mike did. It was one of the things she liked about him back when they went out in High School. Z didn't surprise her all. She always wanted to help people and be a part of something bigger. If she got in and Taylor was sure she would, she would get a chance to do both, though her elder brother was bound to have a heart attack in the bargain. Jack was more of surprise. Like his best friend Z he loved helping people in need but was never one for rules and systems. But the two of them made a fabulous team and it would be fascinating to watch them in action.

With a smile she quickly whipped up a reply before scrolling down to the next one on her list, Alyssa.

_Dearest Taylor,_

_I hope you're having fun at the new base. Please try and be careful._

_Even though we've been doing this for some time now it still feels weird to write to you like this. There's so much I want to tell you but when I sit down to write my mind just draws blank. _

_As requested I've looked in on Marah and Kapri and so far they appear to be doing well at college but then again the term has only just begun. School's going great for me, the kids are really enjoying some of the stories you recommended and they're looking forward to seeing you again. I hope you will be able to visit soon. Things at the dojo are going great as well. Dad keeps talking about retiring but we both know that's not going to happen for a long time now. _

_Cole and I are doing really well too. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like him. This might surprise you but he's not as naive as he comes across. Sure there's a lot he doesn't know but that's just because he hasn't been exposed to things like we have. But he's a quick study and has really gotten better at talking to people. And he's so passionate about saving the environment, especially animals and he has this way with them that is just… well it's unexplainable. You'd have to see it to believe it. He even told me he wanted to be a vet but his uncle forbade it. He's really something else. _

_I knew I liked him in the beginning but I didn't realise how much until I saw him without his uncle's shadow looming over him. I don't think Dr. Adler or your mom are very happy about it though but maybe that's just me. Anyways it's been awhile since they left Turtle Cove and at the risk of being ridiculed for sounding like a love sick teenager, I really miss him._

_But I have good news. He's asked me to come visit him in at his uncle's research lab in Briarwood and I was thinking that since I've got a long weekend coming up in a couple of weeks I could go then. And since you're base is around the area I was hoping you could get a day off and we could catch up. I know it's probably going to be difficult for you but please try. It's been a long time since we had a chance to talk._

_Take care and hopefully I'll see you really soon._

_Love,_

_Alyssa. _

So, Alyssa and jungle boy were actually working out. Despite her previous reservations it didn't surprise her, if anyone could bring the real Cole out it was Alyssa. She was happy for her friend but it dawned on her that Alyssa might not have realised that if things went any further she was going to be stuck in a long distance relationship for a very long time. Alyssa loved her job and would never leave her father to take care of the family dojo on his own whereas Cole was unlikely to stop following his uncle around anytime soon. If the two of them wanted to make it work they were going to have come up with a solution fast.

The prospect of seeing Alyssa again was inviting but that would only be possible if she got permission to go off base for a bit. An unlikely possibility but there was no harm in trying. She worded a quick reply asking Alyssa to send her the dates so that she could try and work something out.

The next letter was from Hunter. This came as a real surprise as so far all he had ever sent her were silly forwards. It was rather unusual.

_Hey Taylor,_

_I hope you're doing alright. I know this is a little out of the blue but I just thought I'd say hi. Your sisters have been coming around the track quite often and Kapri mentioned that you'd been transferred to another base but she didn't really say much else. Hope everything's going well. Things at the track are heating up. Your uncle's hosting a competition next week, scouts and all so things are pretty crazy. Blake and Lucas are back in town, they're representing Factory Blue at the meet and greet though Lucas spends most of his time flirting with Cassidy Cornell, the reporter from Reefside. It's a good thing she's all over him too otherwise it would have embarrassing for Team Blue. But Blake says he's in line to move up soon if he gets a podium finish at his big race next year, so he's gotta use every opportunity he can to be seen if he wants to attract bigger sponsors. Sounds fishy to me, but it's his game so I don't really have a say in it. Anyways I just wanted to say hi and let you know how things are around here, you're probably kicking ass wherever you are. I gotta go so take care and look me up when you get back to town, you owe me a race._

_Later,_

_Hunter_

That was not quite what she had expected but it was definitely different. It was no surprise that Marah and Kapri were spending time at the track especially if there was an influx of riders preparing for the competition. And it sounded like Kapri had her eye on Hunter, again not surprising but she wasn't about to jump to conclusions. So Lucas was back in Blue Bay Harbour, she understood Hunter mentioning it but didn't get why he told her that Lucas was flirting with Cassidy Cornell. It didn't make sense unless like Jen and their aunt he too thought she liked him.

It amazed her that so many people were worried about her attraction to Lucas. Could it really be that they saw something she didn't. No of course not, sure she liked Lucas as a friend she supposed but she was definitely not attracted to him. And she was definitely not peeved by the fact that he was flirting with someone else. Lucas was still pretty much a rogue factor in her book and she preferred not thinking about him too much.

One speedy reply later she was reading her last letter for the day. This one from her aunt Shayla.

_My dearest Taylor,_

_I trust that you are well. Your uncle and Kite send their love. We all miss you and hope that you will be home soon. It was lovely having Jen over. I think the change really lifted her spirits though she did seem a little sad about something but that is unavoidable when nursing a broken heart. But I have full faith that she will be just fine. _

_All is well in Silver Hills and your friend Eric has been in the news several times. His company has recently sponsored the opening of a new youth centre as well as additional wings for the orphanage. And he appears to be rather personally involved in these projects. His late mother was well known for her charity work and I suppose he is carrying on her work. It makes me wonder though could it really be all a farce, it must be if your other friend's account of events is true. Then again people change. However if I were you I would give this whole situation a lot more thought before believing one story over the other._

_In other news your uncle has finally decided to hire someone to help him out at work a Dr. Dominic Hargan who recently moved here from Ocean Bluff as well as taken on an intern, Emma Goodall. Vella is thrilled that they finally have some help, she's been quite frazzled with trying to fit all his patients into his schedule. When you return you must come and meet the team, you'll love them I'm sure._

_I'll leave you with that. I hope you don't overwork yourself. Take care and be safe._

_Love,_

_Aunt Shayla_

Shaking her head she opened the picture her aunt had attached with her mail and grinned at the image of six people smiling up at her. A tall blonde man and a petite brunette joined her aunt, uncle, cousin and Vella, a nurse and her uncle's assistant. She was in complete agreement with her aunt where her uncle's workload was concerned and was glad he had hired some help.

However she could have done without a reminder of the whole Eric-Lucas dilemma that she worked so hard to forget. The truth was she yearned for Eric's side of the story and she knew neither her mind nor her heart would rest until she knew the truth. However that was not an option at the moment and all thoughts about it would have to be locked away for the moment. Her aunt made a fair argument about Eric's more appealing nature and she couldn't cast it away as a show for the cameras because she had seen him be kind and considerate, albeit in his own edgy way but considerate all the same. After all despite their rocky acquaintance he had helped her. No, she couldn't call him just an acquaintance he was more than, wasn't he? But as she recalled the look on his face before he left her at the gala she had to wonder at her aunt's choice of words. Was Eric Myers really her friend?

But before her thoughts could delve too far into the subject she was distracted by Summer's voice calling out to her.

"Sorry… I didn't catch that."

"Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Its fine just got lost for a moment."

"So everything alright at home then?"

"Yup, just the usual chaos."

"Well that's good. I just wanted to know if you were ready to head down."

"Sure, just give me a sec to log to out."

"Great. I'll wake Gia up in the meantime."

Turning back to her laptop Taylor quickly typed up a reply to her aunt and proceeded to log out and shut down her laptop. And as she joined her friends at the door she pushed every thought of Eric Myers to the furthest recesses of her mind she could manage. After all this was her world and she had far more important things to do.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. Once again I've let my creative license run free where the air force stuff is concerned. And as for the special op it's my attempt to add a little power ranger flavour to this story. I don't know how far I'm going to take it but it's going to play an important part in the development of this story.<p>

Please review and let me know what you think.

Till next time…


	31. Second Wind

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the reviews. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. Here's the next chapter.

**Chapter 31: **_**Second Wind**_

Eric couldn't help but smirk as he leaned forward with his arms resting on the scrubbed wooden table before him as he sipped his beer. Grinning across the table from him was his good friend and business partner Dillon. The buzz of clinking glasses, loud chatter and dizzy laughter surrounded rang through the dimly lit bar they were in as a string of patrons ambled in an out, some shouting out greetings to familiar faces others slinking over to the bar round the bend for a solitary sip.

It was definitely not the loud, high-flying clubs that Wes often dragged him to nor was it one of those swanky, upscale digs that his "aunt" and her daughter frequented. Frankly the bar Dillon had dragged him to was far from their usual scene. Nestled somewhere along the fringes of the downtown area it was your average neighbourhood bar and as he sat there in a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt he felt, well… average and he decided he liked this feeling. Though his "aunt" would be aghast if she knew where he was at the moment. But he found that he didn't care.

"So… you glad we got out of snobsville, or what?" Dillon prodded before taking a swig from his own bottle.

"Snobsville?"

Dillon shrugged and turned away with a grunt. While it wasn't odd for his friend to be broody and grumpy about life in general Eric could tell that spending time with the old moneyed kooks upstate had gotten to him. Dillon was an oddball where his friends were concerned. He hadn't grown up in the lap of luxury like his other acquaintances. But despite their different upbringings the two of them had a lot in common. Both having lost their parents at a young age and a younger sister to care for, they also shared a similar outlook on certain things which made them a great team.

As for their current situation he wasn't very happy with it either but downside of being the boss was that you sometimes had to do things you didn't like. And no matter their personal feelings on the matter work was work and there was no way around that.

"You do realize that if we actually do this we're going to be stuck here for a while… a long while," Dillon stated pointedly.

"Weren't you the one who made the no work talk rule?"

"Is there anywhere else I can bring this subject up?"

"Point," Eric sighed as he looked down at the bottle in front of him. "But if it works out this project could end up sustaining itself…"

"On the whims of these codgers," Dillon added.

"Dillon…"

"What? You and I both know that none of these guys are going to cough up a cent unless they get something out of it. That's how it works. And they want something, that's the only reason we're here."

"Maybe but we haven't said yes to anything yet nor are we going to, at least until we have a clear picture of what we're getting into. Irrespective of who's involved we're not going to change the way we work," Eric stated plainly.

"If you say so," Dillon mumbled unconvincingly.

"I do. And for the record I liked the no work rule."

"Yeah, me too."

A loud crash startled the two of them and along with most of the other patrons nearby whipped their heads in the direction the sound came from. A tall pillar blocked their view of the bar and several others were straining their necks to get a better look of what happened while some even partially rose out of their seats and others till gathered around the bar to get a better look.

"Should we…?" Eric began moving to rise from his seat but Dillon shrugged it off.

"Probably just some guy who had too much to drink."

"Proba…"

But before he could finish a woman's voice cut through the hum of whispers surrounding the bars forcing both men to face each other with curious eyes.

"But maybe we should take a look, just in case," said Dillon as he jumped out of his seat.

Eric nodded as flowed suit with Dillon leading the way through the crowd. As they edged their way to the front they were faced with the sight of a blonde woman in a black leather jacket holding the wrist of a beefy man as she glared daggers at him. Beside her was a young waitress whose face was pale as she held on to her tray as if it were the only thing keeping her on her feet. On the floor were the shattered remains of beer mugs as their contents lay spilled in all directions.

Eric was stunned and for a moment thought the blonde was Taylor but a close look at her face revealed that she was not. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he tried to piece together what had happened.

For a moment no one moved but it appeared the man had had enough. Growling he pulled his arm out of the blonde's hold and stared her down but she didn't back. His menacing eyes shifted to the cowering waitress but the blonde drew his attention back to her by stepping in front of the other girl, her hands clenching into fists as they did so.

From the looks of it things were definitely heating and a full blown bar fight was in the works. And it seemed he wasn't the only one who thought so. Another blonde entered the fray. This one had longer hair and appeared to be favouring her right arm beneath a black leather jacket with yellow stripes at the elbows.

"Gia stop," she said addressing her friend before turning to the man.

"Just let it go and back off," she said sternly clearly not happy with individual in front of her but keen to avoid a fight.

"Back off girlie," the man grunted swinging his arm to push her out of the way.

Caught unawares she took the hit on her injured arm and winced in pain as she stumbled back from the force. Dillon pushed himself out of the crowd and caught her before she could hit the ground there.

"Hey there, you alright?" he asked with a smirk.

She looked up at him and nodded as he helped her stand upright. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other. But their attention was just as soon drawn to the scene unfolding before them.

Angered by the man's behaviour towards her friend Gia growled fiercely and grabbed the collar of his jacket.

"Watch it?" she warned.

But the man was not the least bit shaken. Instead he smirked and grabbed her elbows pushing her back slightly.

"Hey! Break it up," echoed the deep voice of the bartender who until then had been in the back room.

He edged his way out from behind the bar making a beeline for the warring twosome determined to put an end to the chaos. However his path was blocked by two bulky figures who could only be the friends of the man currently engaged in a brawl with Gia.

"You heard the man, break it up."

Everyone's attention turned to two newcomers. The first was a blonde man wearing a blue jacket and the other a woman in a yellow jacket. Her gaze was fixed in a glare at the two by the bar while his was turned on the cronies holding back the bartender.

"And why should I listen to you?" said the man pushing Gia back and turning to the other woman.

"Oh I'd listen to her if I were you," Eric said as he stepped up beside the other two taking them both by surprise.

"First of all she packs quite the punch and secondly your ruining everyone's evening and I can't say that they're all too happy about it."

He gestured to the crowd around them that was getting angrier and angrier throwing glares and dirty looks towards him. Shaken by the intensity of the glares the man backed off and slunk back into his seat. However the bartender was not quite done. He immediately ordered all three of them to get out of his bar before shouting out orders for someone to clean up the mess. He then turned on the group of six still standing around the bar and curtly told them to

"Get the hell out and don't ever come back here," he roared.

The four blondes shared a look of resignation and nodded to each other before turning to leave with the girl Dillon had helped muttering a quick apology first. The waitress ran after them and thanked the girls before slinking back to work. Eric and Dillon too shared a look before returning to their seats grabbing their jackets and heading out of the bar.

"Well that's one hide-out gone out the window," Dillon complained as the two strolled out of the bar.

"Sorry about that but we didn't ask you to get involved."

Looking up they found the four blondes they had encountered standing just outside the door, two of them looking staright at Eric. It was the injured blonde who had spoken and she had her eyes fixed on Dillon. For a moment the two parties just watched each other disturbed only when patrons pushed past them to get into the bar.

"So, do we get any introductions, or do I keep referring you as blondes one to four in mind head?" Dillon quipped with a smirk.

"Interesting friend you have there," the blonde with yellow jacket said to Eric with a smirk of her own.

"You know them?"

"Just of two of 'em," he replied with a nod to Sky who returned it with one of his own.

The girl stepped forward and held her hand out to Dillon.

"Hey there, I'm Taylor Earhardt, that's Schuyler Kruger, Gia Moran and Summer Lansdown. I already know who he is so I guess that just leaves you."

Dillon smirked and shook her hand.

"Dillon, just Dillon."

"Well just Dillon I owe you a big thank you," said Summer as she stepped up to them.

Taken aback Dillon gave her a once over taking note of the sling her arm was in.

"I'm sure you would've been fine even if I wasn't there."

"Actually you just saved Summer a couple of more weeks on the bench," Sky added as he joined them and shook Dillon's hand before turning to Eric.

"Nice to see you again"

"Hello, I'm still missing something here," Gia piped up from the back.

"Oh right, Gia, Sum this is Eric Myers, Tay and I ran into him over the Summer back home," Sky explained before turning back to the guys.

"Since we did kind of ruin your evening we thought we'd treat you drink, if you're up to it that is?" he offered.

"At the bar we just got kicked out of?" Dillon kicked up

"No, at the one around the corner where we were supposed to be heading in the first place before we got… uh side tracked," Sky finished off with a glance at Gia.

"Whatever," the blonde in question threw up her hands and started walking down the street.

"This is the first time we've been out in a month I need a drink whether they're coming or not."

"Can't argue with that," said Taylor as she turned away and joined her friend.

"So what'll it be boys?" asked Summer turning to join the others as well.

"I'm in no hurry to get back so why not?" Dillon agreed as he joined her.

Eric was torn, seeing Taylor again was a bit of a shock. He had convinced himself he would never see her again and had firmly bolted all thoughts of her at the back of his mind. But their short encounter was enough to bring everything flooding back and he wasn't sure he could spend an evening her even in the company of friends.

"Eric, you coming?" Sky asked pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah I guess," he gave in as he joined Sky.

"So what brings you all the way out here? And what's this about not being out for a month?" he asked as they walked side-by-side bringing up the rear of their little group with Gia and Taylor taking the lead and Summer and Dillon falling into step somewhere in-between.

"Occupational hazard I'm afraid. All of us were transferred to the base outside of Briarwood a while ago. Tonight was the first we were given a night-out. Don't mind Gia though, we've been grounded since we got here so everyone's a bit edgy."

"Grounded?"

"We haven't been up in a plane as yet. But that changes on Monday so everyone's going to be in a better mood. I take it you're here for work as well?"

"Yeah, Dillon and I are talking to investors for a new project."

"Sounds like fun," Sky joked.

"It's not the most exciting part of the job but like you said occupational hazard."

"Yeah, I suppose we all have those."

"Any word on Marcus and Scott?"

"Last I heard Marcus was pretty much the same but Scott's started on rehab. You should check with Tay though she's probably more up to date with that situation."

"Right," Eric backed off allowing silence to befall the two as he once again battled his own feelings.

When they got to the bar the others had already secured a table and had discarded their jackets. And as the evening progressed he was surprised to see Dillon let down his guard. He and Summer seemed to have hit it off and Taylor too responded to his sarcasm with equal mirth. Whereas Eric himself uncomfortably avoided Taylor's eyes throughout barely speaking to her directly and at that moment was staring at his glass while the others chatted around him.

"Anyone fancy a game of pool?" asked Sky as he spotted the empty table.

"Sure, why not?" said Gia rising from her seat.

"I'm in, Summer?" asked Dillon

"I would gladly show all of you how the game is played but I'm afraid all I'll be doing is watching," she replied as he helped her out of her seat.

"Why don't you give them some pointers, I'm sure the guys could use 'em," said Taylor as leaned back into her seat.

"I take it you're not joining the game," Dillon prodded.

"Sorry, pool's not my game, but you guys have fun."

Once the four had left the table Taylor turned a quizzical glance to the only other person left.

"I thought pool would be right up your street."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" He replied still avoiding her gaze.

"And you'd be right," he conceded when she raised an eyebrow at his reply. "I've been playing since I was ten but I don't really play unless I have to," he finished looking back at the table where Dillon was lining up for a shot.

"I see, so that leave us with a bit of a situation, doesn't it?"

When he didn't say anything she leaned forward resting her elbows on the table and entwining her fingers so that she could rest her chin over them.

"Tell me Mr. Myers, do you think we could manage a conversation without one of us losing our heads?"

Eric couldn't help but smirk as he matched her gaze. He noticed that her fingers showed no sign of her ever wearing a ring and the only thing around her neck were her dog tags. The awkward, sinking feeling that he had when he first saw her that night persisted as he reminded himself that there were a number of explanations for it but his heart felt a little lighter.

"Well our track record does speak for itself but I suppose we could give it a shot Lieutenant," he replied.

Taylor smiled and leaned back once again falling silent. She was only just getting over the shock of seeing him again and frankly didn't know what to say. She had been certain they would never cross paths again and thought she had left all dilemmas concerning him behind, but it appeared she had only pushed them to the back of her mind. She really didn't want to get into an argument with him and the memory of their last encounter made her hesitate.

"So, how's work going? Sky mentioned something about you guys being grounded," Eric was the first to speak. And the subject of work seemed to put Taylor at ease.

"It's good, yeah being grounded is frustrating but we'll be up in the air soon so there's not much to complain about. What about you, how are the discussions with Dillon's old kooks really going?"

"They're not. All we've been doing is attending parties where all people want to do is gossip rather than talk business. I'm beginning to think coming here was a bad idea."

"Why would you arrange a meeting with people who don't want to listen?"

"This was more of my aunt's idea, well she's not really my aunt but anyways she's invited some potential investors to her estate and Dillon and I are just trying to get their attention."

"Do you mean the infamous Lady Necrolai Pimvare?"

"You've hear of her?" Eric asked in a tone of surprise.

"Yeah, Dr. Adler and Cole mentioned her. I think she's funding their research."

"She is. That came as a surprise but then again Necrolai pretty much does what she wants and always has a reason for doing it whether the rest of us understand or not."

"She sounds like a dangerous woman."

"I suppose she is," Eric replied in a defensive tone prodding Taylor to shift gears.

"So, how's your sister?"

Surprised but nonetheless pleased at the change of subject Eric regarded Taylor with a smile and slowly sipped his drink before answering her.

"Maddie's good. She's back at school so she's busy with something or the other."

"I see, she's studying films, right?"

"Yeah, she's pretty much made a documentary out of our lives ever since she got her first camera. So it's a good fit, besides it makes her happy so that's all there is to it. What about your sisters?"

Taylor hesitated for a moment, her hand tightening around the glass in front of her. She immediately thought of Jen and everything her sister was going through because of the family of the man seated across from her. But she also realised that none of that was Eric's fault and she had no reason to be angry with him on that account. Still, there was no doubt Wes had spoken to him about something and he could probably help her out with what was going on inside his cousin's head. However she stopped herself from going down that road. Whatever happened between Wes and Jen was between them and since her sister had decided to move on there was no need to drag Eric into the mess and upset the awkward camaraderie they had fallen into.

"They're good to. Busy with their own things thought Rose might be heading off to teach at Cambridge soon."

"That's impressive."

"It'll be good for her. Especially being around people who know what she's talking about. Can't say she has much of an audience back home."

Eric smiled as he remembered Rose. She was by no means shy and perhaps ill-observant of the fact that most people around her didn't understand a word she was saying but there was no denying that the girl was brilliant. As they hit the subject of home Eric debated with himself over prying into the Scott matter. He reasoned that it was silly but his curiosity won out in the end.

"And how's everyone else? I heard Scott's doing a lot better," He prodded.

"Everyone is a little vague don't you think. But I haven't heard of any major calamities so I assume they're all doing well. Except for Marcus though, according to my dad his condition has changed at all. As for Scott all I know is that he's started on rehab, but that was a while ago."

To say that her answer took him by surprise would be an understatement. Sure the two of them had not behaved like a couple but he had assumed they were close. And while she had never spoken about him directly her sisters and Katie had always teased her about the two of them being a couple. And he had definitely heard him propose. Could he have been wrong about the situation?

"Aren't you in touch? I thought the two of you were close? Well actually I thought… never mind, I guess it's none of my business."

"What is it?" she asked intrigued by the change in his demeanour.

"Well…," she prodded.

"I kind of though you guys were engaged," he said hesitantly.

"Wha… That was you by the door wasn't it?" she asked surprised.

His statement had definitely taken her aback and as she ran a hundred scenarios through her head trying to figure out how he knew she was finally able to give a face to the dark eyes she had seen at the door that night.

"Yeah," he nodded startled by the knowledge that she had seen him. "Uncle Alan and I had come to say goodbye and I might have walked in at the wrong time."

"So you heard him pop the question and didn't stick around for the answer yet assumed we would be engaged," she stated fixing him with an accusatory glare

"We were in a hurry and it was a private moment we didn't want to intrude. But yes I did assume because, well everyone always said you two were close."

Taylor sighed and he eyes softened as she sat a little straighter and drew her glass closer with both hands.

"We were friends that's it, at least I thought so. I probably should have taken the teasing a little more seriously and put an end to this a long time ago. But as it stands yes Scott proposed and I turned him down. There was just no way I could say yes to that."

"I see. My apologies for jumping to conclusions," he said with a straight face as a heavy weight lifted off his heart.

"You don't have to apologize. Almost everyone thought I'd say yes or at least expected me to. And if my mother had her way I'd be Mrs. Truman by now," she shuddered at the thought.

"Complicated situation then?"

"Honestly I'm not sure it is. But my mother being my mother feels the need to add a little drama to everything. Scott's mad at me of course but the Colonel's pretty sure once he gets a handle over the PTSD he'll come around but even if he doesn't there is nothing I can do about it."

"I'm sure he will. You two have known each other far too long for him to stay too mad at you. He's just reeling at the moment. If he cares about you and I'm sure he does he'll respect your decision."

"Thanks"

And in that moment whatever barriers that both of them had put up came crashing down and for the first time that they had seen each other that night they were able to relax and enjoy each other's company. Eric was no longer haunted by her engagement to another man and Taylor had seen the man who sat with her on the Collin's porch that night at the beach. The one that intrigued her and she found herself wanting to know.

By the time the others had re-joined them the two of them were enjoying a good laugh. Eric and moved from across the table into a seat right next to Taylor as they talked about anything and everything and in the bargain learnt that they had a lot more in common than what they'd imagined. There were still unaddressed issues and reservations on both sides but for the moment they were both in silent agreement that they could at least be friends.

"You two seem to be having a lot of fun," Dillon interrupted as he sat down.

"Just be glad that they're not trying to kill each other," Sky pointed out.

"Huh, why would they want to kill each other?" asked Gia.

"Let's just say our previous encounters have been rather… explosive," Eric answered to which Taylor nodded in agreement.

"Really, you must tell me more," said Dillon leaning closer to Taylor highly intrigued by this piece of information.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. Hope you guys enjoyed that. Please review and let me know what you think.<p>

Till next time...


	32. Of Plants & Plots

Hey there, sorry about the wait was distracted with exams.

Anyways, here's the next chapter. Please review and let me know what you think.

**Chapter 32: **_**Of Plants & Plots**_

The curtains were drawn blocking out the sun and allowing no natural light to penetrate into the room. A long, sturdy work table ran through the centre of the room covered in page marked books. Along one side of the room ran a lab table with a delicately assembled apparatus resting the top. The various chemicals in hues of green, red and purple let off an eerie glow in the darkness.

On the wall opposite was a large pin board with several hand drawn maps attached to in. In the centre was a painting of an island shaped like a turtle and above it was a torn sheet of browning paper with dark sketch of a ferocious beast that at first glance appeared like a lion. But it you looked closer you could make out the heads of a shark, a bison, an eagle and a tiger put together to form the image with the wings of the eagle forming the lion's mane.

Just below the board was a large writing desk strewn with papers and a sole desk lamp sitting at the edge. Near the edge facing the chair was an open journal filled with scratchings that were not easily decipherable accompanied by a notebook filled with copious notes.

The door slammed open making everything in the room shake as a shaggy haired man with horrible scars running across his pale face stepped inside. A white lab coat with several yellow stains was thrown over his ratty clothes and his eyes were bloodshot as if he had not slept for many days. In one hand he carried a steaming mug of coffee and in the other a clipboard.

He placed the clipboard on a side table and shuffled towards the desk where he sat down and pulled the journal closer to him. He had recently procured it from his former teacher's study – without the knowledge of said teacher's son – and strongly believed that it held the key to finding the answers he was looking for.

It had been a while since he had returned to Briarwood. The musty odour and the fumes of the chemicals that surrounded his lab were like a breath of fresh air to him. It was good to be back home away from the imprudent minds that would never be able to understand the work he was trying to do. Besides there was no point in staying any longer he had found what he was looking for and the boy had put an end to their plans of forging a connection with the Earhardts. He had to admit the last part didn't really bother him too much, other than his friend's second daughter the rest of that family were… there was no other word for it annoying. However there was someone who was furious with the outcome.

Necrolai Pimvare or Lady Pimvare as she preferred to be addressed, a dark force that had stormed into his life more than 20 years ago and changed his life. He recalled that day very clearly. It was back when he still lived in Turtle Cove. That night in particular was a stormy one with raging winds and thunderous rain pelting the ground. He was holed up in his dingy apartment with a single candle for light. In one corner a baby shifted in its sleep unaware of what was going on around him.

One week, it had been one week since his adventure in the Amazon that left him friendless and guardian to an infant. To top things off the mysterious death of the two scientists hadn't sat well with the university they were working with and Adler found himself unemployed with all grants for their research retracted. He had nothing left except for a grand discovery he could tell no one about, the scars that he paid as a price for that discovery and a howling infant that did nothing but drive him crazy.

That was when she walked in. It started with a knock on the door, one that he ignored. Then came another, once again he ignored it. It happened a third time but when he didn't answer it was followed by the distinct sound of someone turning the knob and the crunch of a breaking lock. Startled he got off the floor and turned to the door just as it slammed open revealing a gentleman dressed in an all-black suit accompanied by dark glasses and a red tie. He stepped into the room barely acknowledging Adler and took a step to the side. He was followed by three more, each one entering one-after-the-other.

The fourth was followed by a slim figure covered in a dark hooded cloak. Pale hands with painted red nails reached from beneath it to unfasten the clasp and pull back the hood revealing a tall, slim woman in a form fitting black leather ensemble. Her skin was pale and her hair dark, highlighted with streaks of red.

"Good evening Dr. Adler," she spoke in a cold voice.

"Wh… who ar..are… you?" he stammered.

"Now, now is that anyway to greet a guest," she drawled as she took a turn around the room examining its condition.

"I don't recall inviting you," he said with a bit more confidence but deep down his knees were quivering.

"Ahh well, the uninvited kind then," she said fixing a fake smile on her lips.

"There's a reason they're uninvited," he retorted a lot braver than he felt.

"Yes I believe there is. However I also believe that you will be very interested in the proposition that I have for you," she said turning away from him and picking up a letter opener and turning it about between her fingers.

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say? You haven't even told me who you are or how you know who I am," he spat out.

"Oh I know a lot more about you than you think doctor," she said casting a glance at the sleeping baby before turning back to him.

"And seeing as you have yet to tell me to leave I think you're interested in what I have to say too. But you're right introductions are in order. My name is Lady Necrolai Pimvare…"

"Pimvare? As it the rich guy from Briarwood that recently kicked the bucket?" he asked recognizing the name he had read about in the paper.

"Yes that Pimvare," she sneered.

"Dear Calindor was a sweet man. But he outlived his usefulness, early retirement was the best option for him."

"You killed your husband then?"

"Ah now, now dear doctor did you hear me say that?"

Adler shook his head slowly. Fear was evident in his eyes as was confusion. He had no idea what was going on, what this woman wanted from him or what he should do about it all.

"That's right. Now how about we sit down and have a little chat. Don't be difficult now I would hate to have to let everyone find out what really happened to your friends on your little adventure."

The doctor's face paled and his grip on the letter loosened allowing it to drop to the ground.

"Wh…What do you know about that?" he questioned with anger darkening his eyes.

"I told you doctor I know a lot more about you that you can imagine. Now are you ready to talk or do we have to keep playing games?" she asked as she took a seat crossing her legs and letting her hands rest on her knee.

Adler looked from her to the sleeping infant then back at her. She was poised and confident and if she wanted to kill him he was sure she would have done it by now. The only logical explanation was that she needed something from him. He hesitated for a moment but slowly lowered himself into a seat across from her. After all he had nothing more to lose.

"Alright, talk!"

And talk they did. Lady Pimvare outlined how she had been following the research Adler had been working on with his partners. She expressed how interested she was in the phenomenon that was the Animarium and the power of the ancient orgs. But there was something that had caught her interest all the more, the Earhardt Estate. She knew of his teacher's will and that there was a chance that his charge could inherit the estate and should that happen she wanted him to sign it over to her. In exchange she would relocate him to his very own laboratory on her estate in Briarwood, pay for Cole's upbringing and fund his research in whatever way was necessary.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. She was offering him so much in return for something so little, something he could not promise her. And he told her so revealing that as far as he knew his old friend had only one daughter but there was no certainty he would not have a son in the future.

"Leave that to me," she'd said. "I only want your word that should it fall into young Cole's hands the estate is as good as mine. Of course I will be asking for the odd favour here and there and a say in how the boy is raised but that shouldn't be too much of a problem, should it?"

It wasn't a problem at all. In fact if he looked at it correctly he wasn't losing anything at all. Sure he would have to look after the brat but that was a small price to pray. Yes, the estate did hold a lot of valuable information in the form of his teacher's work but he was certain that Lady Pimvare wouldn't deny him access to it. She seemed to understand what his research was really about. Yes at the end of the day if was a fairly small price to pay for the answers he so desperately needed.

And so a contract was signed and for twenty six years he followed it, raising Cole and continuing his research. Necrolai used her sources to keep an eye on Zedd and as it turned out he did have another child, four more to be exact but his curse and Adler's blessing was that they were all girls. As Cole got older she began taking an active interest in his life and he looked up to her almost worshipping her in a sense. It was her intent that he marry one of the Earhardt girls to cement his claim on the estate but that did not go as planned. As it turned out Cole wasn't the well trained puppet they thought him to be.

A soft knock at the door drew him out of his thoughts and he whirled around to see one of his assistants standing at the door.

"Yes Flora?" he grunted not happy at being disturbed.

"S…s…sorry to bother you Dr. Adler. B…b…but Lady P…P…Pimvare is here to see you," she quivered.

"I see, let her in."

"There's no need I'm already here," a familiar cold voice spoke from the door.

"Ahh, Lady Pimvare, to what to I owe the honour?" he stated.

"Enough with niceties Viktor, we need to talk."

"Of course, perhaps in the greenhouse," he said rising from his seat.

"I don't have a problem with the dark," she sneered.

"I am very well aware of that my lady. But it is a nice day and perhaps you would like to see the results of the research you have so generously funded," he pushed, leading her away from his office and towards the greenhouses.

"Very well then," she complied.

As they stepped out of the shadowed hallway into the light of the sun Dr. Adler got a good glimpse of Lady Pimvare. Time had been good to her, her slim figure had not changed much and her face though older was more striking. Perhaps the greatest change was her hair, once flowing down her back it was now ceased just beneath her ears. Her outfit of choice too had evolved, the black leather had given way to a black silk dress that enhanced her form perfectly.

She shielded her eyes from the sudden burst of light as she stepped into the first greenhouse. A thick white smoke covered the ground and from it sprang thin green tendrils that spiralled upwards.

"Is that it?" she asked with apparent distaste.

"Yes, but they still have a long way to go. Once they are full grown they will be simply beautiful," he said with a wistful, dreamy look in his eyes.

She whirled around to face him and immediately averted her eyes before reigning in her composure and staring him the eyes. The scars unnerved her. They were worse since the last time she had seen him but she could not let him see just how much they disturbed her.

"I see you haven't been taking your medication," she stated.

"Why hide what nature had given you?" he said raising his arms wide in gesture.

Her eyes hardened as she folded her arms across her chest and pursed her lips.

"We agreed that you would at least try to keep up some kind of appearance for investors. How many times must I tell you, if you want people to give you their money they have to like what they see," she stated.

Adler dropped his hands behind his back and walked in-between the rows of vines though how he was able to navigate his way without stepping on one was beyond Lady Pimvare. With hunched shoulders he took careful steps ignoring the impatient tapping heel of his guest.

"Well my dear, it is good for us then that you continue to look ravishing. I'm sure those infatuated old fools will have no problem giving you their money. And for any ass kissing that might be required you have the brat at your disposal. You seem to have done an excellent job of training him. If I didn't know better I'd say he was completely under your spell," he said facing her with a feral yet mischievous grin.

Her eyes narrowed as she straightened her shoulders, raised her head and pursed her lips.

"Yes, about that brat of yours. If I recall correctly our plan involved you not returning until he was engaged to one of the Earhardt brats. Yet, what do I hear on your return, he not only overlooked five of them but is courting another girl altogether. Explain yourself," she seethed.

"What can I say? Things didn't go quite according to plan. It appears that the boy does have a heart of his own if not a head. However this change of course does not upset our ultimate goal and I see nothing worry about."

"The point," she said marching up to him without a care of whether she was stepping on the plants or not.

"Was that this engagement cement our claim over the estate. I have waited for a long time I will not have it drawn out longer than necessary because the girls feel the need to fight this in court."

"That will not be a problem besides the Earhardt girls would not have suited your purpose."

"How is that so?"

"Let's start with eldest shall we, the prettiest of the lot yes and plenty of potential but is wasting away in insecurity and doubt. She would take no stand. The youngest two are copies of their mother with frivolous dreams and no cares, and far too young. Zedd would never entertain the thought. The middle one, poor thing was completely enamoured by the brat's false knowledge but he never noticed her and she spent all her time buried in books."

"And what of the fifth? The one you said was the most agreeable candidate."

"I said that because she was the only one I could tolerate in that house. And while was also the most potentially dangerous of the lot her job keeps her away a lot. And believe me when I say she loves her job. Too much to give it up for her family," he added with a sneer.

"I see and the girl he has chosen to court, what do you know of her?"

"There's nothing worrisome about her. She is a close friend of Zedd's daughter but far more cautious and conscientious. She will be no trouble at all and should the brat decide to marry her, her connection with the Earhardts will negate any chance of opposition on their part."

"You seem to have thought this through"

"I do have a benefactor to please. And unless my old friend had another child, a son at that, something he has been given five chances to produce, the estate is as good as yours."

"For your sake I hope you're right. But I want to meet the girl. Have Cole fly her here on a weekend. I will judge for myself where she stands in my scheme of things."

And without waiting for an answer she turned on her heel and stormed out of the greenhouse. Dr. Adler was left standing alone in a room full of eerie vines once again wondering what allure did the Earhardt estate hold for a woman like Necrolai Pimvare. Surely the woman possessed three times as much wealth as what the estate was worth. There had to be something much deeper and while it undoubtedly none of his concern his curiosity was fighting to find out just what the dark woman was up to.

* * *

><p>That's it for now. The next chapter should be up soon.<p>

Till next time….


	33. Friendly Advice

Hey guys,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I may be a little late but I hope everyone has a fabulous year ahead.

I'm not going to give any excuses for the late update, unfortunately that happens sometimes. Hopefully this year I will be able to update on a more regular basis… that is the plan anyway.

For now, here's the next chapter…

**Chapter 33: **_**Friendly**__**Advice**_

Taylor Earhardt looked up over the top of her book taking note of each of her teammates. They were all currently holed up in the rec. room lounging around in tracks and T-shirts under strict orders from Major General Silverback to stay put and take it easy.

All seven of them were curious about the circumstances of the mission they were selected to carry out. They had been in Briarwood for two months now and were still unclear about what it was they had to do. All they knew was that it was a special operations mission that demanded utmost secrecy and that the details would be revealed once they had completed their preliminary training/ evaluation and entered into the lockdown phase, where contact with the outside world was strictly forbidden.

The seven of them had been tagged as the Eagle Squadron with each of them being assigned a series operating colour by which they were addressed during training. Major General Silverback was the commanding officer of the project and everyone on base answered to him. Dr. K was their technical expert and responsible for the inner workings of their entire operation assisted by Damon Henderson and the twins Gem and Gemma who led the engineering team that looked after their birds.

Coming back to the team, the first person Taylor's eyes fell on was Major Zhane Bennett who was playing a game of table tennis. The leader of their team, Zhane a.k.a Silver was the most experienced pilot of the lot and served in several tours until an injury iced him out for two years. This was his first mission back and his determination to prove something was evident in his haunted grey eyes. None of them knew what had happened back then or how he was injured nor did he talk about it but so long as it didn't affect his judgement in the field they didn't pry. Zhane was a good leader though a little reserved but Taylor was certain she could trust him.

Speaking of trust, her eyes flew to Zhane's opponent who was none other than Sky, i.e First Lieutenant Schuyler Tate a.k.a Red. Looking at the two dance back and forth from the table in their sweats with similarly cropped blonde hair it was hard not to mistake them for brothers. Sky was one of her best friends and having grown up together they were as close as siblings, there was no one on the team she trusted to have her back more than him. He had a very by-the-book approach to doing things, having grown up in a family of officers, and was one of the fastest fliers on the team.

Watching the two battle it out was Second Lieutenant Gia Moran a.k.a White. Gia and Taylor had served on the same squad back in Turtle Cove and were good friends. The two were fairly similar both in appearance and nature and were often mistaken for sisters. Apart from being a good pilot Gia had an uncanny ability to pick up things without too much of a struggle. Intelligent and confident she could be a little cocky at times but could always be counted on to deliver. She was the youngest on the team.

Taylor's attention drew back to the blonde sitting next to her who had also chosen to delve into a good book. First Lieutenant Summer Lansdown a.k.a Black, the team's surveillance specialist. Having spent their early years at the academy together the two were close friends. Summer was one of the few on the team who had a lighter disposition and approach to things. She came from a wealthy family in Corinth and having once been a spoiled brat gained new determination to help others after her family's butler was killed while protecting her during an attack on her family's home.

Her gaze flitted back across the room where the only two brunettes on the team were locked in a chess battle. Playing black was Captain Kai Chen a.k.a Blue and second-in-command of their team. Straight-laced and sensible Kai gave Sky a run for his money when it came who stressed over following the rules. A decorated pararescue flight operator Kai was a man of few words and one that took his work very seriously.

Playing white was Sergeant Kevin Williams a.k.a Green. His was a peculiar story, one that he didn't like to share. Like Sky he too came from a family of decorated officers except that his entire family belonged to the Navy, something he trained for most of his life but chose the Air Force in the end opting to become a Pararescueman. He was disciplined and thought things through before taking action but was quick in his decisions and nimble in the field.

That left her, newly promoted Captain Taylor Earhardt a.k.a yellow and third-in-command, rounding off the team of seven. The transfer had come as a surprise to her as her track record wasn't as clean cut as the others. And while she was confident in her abilities as a pilot her time at Briarwood had pushed her to utilize every bit of combat, recon and rescue knowledge that she had and learn a few more tricks which made her very curious about what was coming next.

Taylor was pulled out of her thoughts by Summer shifting uncomfortably in her seat. The other girl slammed her book shut and threw her head back to look at the ceiling with a frustrated sigh.

"I can't take this anymore," she whined.

"What's wrong Summer? You're book not thrilling enough for you?" Taylor asked with an amused smile.

"The book was very thrilling, it's also very over, I'm not sure how much longer I can sit in one place," she cried standing up in frustration.

Seconds later her eyes softened and her shoulders slouched as she slowly dropped back into her chair.

"Sorry, I don't know what's got into me," she apologised.

"I think you've been spending too much time with Dillon, or at least talking to him," Taylor teased.

"Only as much as you have with Eric," Summer shot back without missing a beat, challenging Taylor with a teasing smile of her own.

Summer had her there, ever since their run in back in the city Eric and she had kept in touch. Dillon and Summer became instant friends and though Taylor suspected there was more to it for the moment they were just that. But Summer's growing closeness to Dillon directly resulted in bringing her closer to Eric when they made the trip to town on their weekends off.

Spending time with him away from the Stepfords and her own family introduced her to a whole new side of Eric. Sure the no-nonsense business guy was still there but he seemed lighter and happier. They continued to tease and challenge each other but it was not like it was back in Turtle Cove, the need to punch him in the face every time she saw him was slowly disappearing.

The matter of Lucas Kendall and his story remained unresolved but Taylor felt no need to drag it up. Even if it was true, it was in the past and despite all the anger, the cold shoulders and scathing remarks they shared in Turtle Cove she found it easy to talk to him, like none of those things even happened. To her surprise they found they had a lot of common ground and far more surprising was the fact that they were able to express their difference of opinion cordially. She supposed having Summer and Dillon around helped, that and the fact that there was no unsettling drama unravelling around them.

This Eric had fun, teased his friend and talked about much more than work and even if the subject strayed into the area it lacked the know-it-all authority she had associated with him. However, there was still a certain broody seriousness to him and at times he was blunt and curt very much like the man she remembered meeting a few months ago.

But all said and done Taylor had to admit she was beginning to like this Eric and if they both managed to keep their heads cool – and unlikely but hopeful thought – there was a good chance they could be good friends.

"Hello, Earth to Taylor," said Summer waving her hand in front of Taylor's face.

"Geez, all I have to do is say the guy's name and I lose you."

"Don't be silly," said Taylor trying to shake off all thought of Eric.

"We're… I don't know what we are but it's… it's… it's weird. I mean he's so… okay maybe he's not so different from the guy I met but at the same time talking to him is different, it's okay, he doesn't piss me off all that much… does that even make sense?"

"Not really, but I get it," Summer smiled.

"It's the same for me and Dillon, I mean we just met but it's kind of the same. I don't know if we're friends or not or if we're going to stay in touch. He's just a cool guy who I like hanging out with and we're here in relatively close proximity. Who knows what's going to happen once we fly out? Depending on how the mission goes we might not be in Briarwood too long and neither will they. They've already made several trips in and out and I know we've stayed in touch but, honestly it's all up in the air."

Taylor laughed at Summer's choice of words but she knew that her friend was right there was nothing to think too much about. She and Eric were in a relatively good space and she was just going to go with the flow.

"Okay, I'm up for a game of pool, anybody?" Summer asked the room at large finding takers in Gia and Kai, who's game with Kevin had reached a stalemate.

"You know, I've seen you two together, I don't know what happened back in TC but you have fun together something I don't see you do often. Don't disregard anything because of our… well situation, you never know, when we get back there just might be something more than friends waiting for you," she said before leaving Taylor to her thoughts.

Something more than friends… her and Eric… that was not something Taylor hadn't even considered. But looking back she had always found herself drawn to him but never understood why. Did she really have feelings for Eric Myers?

As Taylor watched Summer set up the table she couldn't help but think of Alyssa and how different her petite friend's advice would have been. Still, she was looking forward to seeing her the coming weekend. It was definitely going to be an interesting one especially since Cole and Dr. Adler would be hosting them. But after she ran into him on one of her visits to town Cole was ecstatic and insisted that she join them when Alyssa visited. There was also a chance she would run into Eric and despite the confusion that was becoming a common occurrence around said person she found herself looking forward to it.

Meanwhile a little way off in Briarwood's high society neighbourhood where the streets were lined by expansive grounds surrounding stately mansions two young men sat in a dim study across a regal desk from an elder woman who continued to talk unaware of the disinterested gentlemen before her.

Eric and Dillon were bored, there was nothing else to it but Lady Pimvare insisted on going over every detail of the proposal her friends had for the boys before the actual meeting, a meeting they were only attending out of courtesy as their decision was already made.

Dillon yawned and looked over at his friend. To his surprise Eric wasn't even trying to pay attention. He was staring out the window, his eyes focused on a distant point and his face tight as if he were thinking about something. This was very unusual as Eric always maintained a straight face when talking shop, even when he was least interested but at the moment he was miles away and Dillon wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Eric… Eric, are you listening?" Lady Pimvare's stern voice cut through the air startling Eric.

"Oh… sorry… my apologies aunt Necrolai, I guess I was a little distracted," he said realizing he'd zoned out.

"So it would seem," she said pointedly, her voice cold and stern.

"Perhaps we should adjourn for now, until you are able to focus. We will resume our discussion later on," she stated.

"That's a splendid idea," said Dillon as he grabbed Eric's hand and pulled him out of the room before she changed her mind.

"Alright, spill, what's going on in that head of yours?" Dillon demanded as the two of them made their way outside to get some fresh air.

"It's nothing," Eric replied walking along the stone path around the house, careful not to step into Lady Pimvare's perfectly cut lawn.

"Yes, clearly 'nothing' has you so distracted that bat-lady over there noticed. Don't forget Myers I've seen you sit through chit-chat that's ten times as boring with a straight face. If fact it's a skill I've always admired."

"Let it go Dillon. I was just thinking about something, alright."

Dillon stopped short Eric's answer was the definition of vague and completely unlike him. Always in control, that was Eric Myers and he didn't let unrelated thoughts distract him during a meeting. Unless of course it was something he couldn't control… A wicked smile found its way to Dillon's lips as he realized just what it was that was distracting Eric.

"Would that something happen to have blonde hair and a razor sharp tongue?"

"Don't be ridiculous, this has got nothing to do with Taylor," came Eric's reply

Dillon's smile widened as he overtook his friend.

"Taylor? I didn't say anything about Taylor. I was talking about Summer," he said barely able to contain his laughter.

"Ha, ha," Eric muttered sarcastically.

"Fine you got me, will you let it go now?" he said agitatedly as he came to a stop outside a pair of French doors leading back into the house.

"I'm sorry. But you know I have to ask. This is all very unlike you."

"Tell me about it," Eric sighed as he sat down on a stone ledge that boxed-in the doors.

"You really like this girl, don't you? And don't deny it, I've seen you around her, you're a little more… you that you usually let on in front of strangers."

"I'm not denying it, I just thought I was over it."

"Over it? What are you talking about?"

"It's complicated."

"Since when is liking a girl complicated?"

"It's this girl. She is complicated, everything about her… us is complicated," he said, his agitation revealing itself in his tone.

Whether he liked it or not once again Taylor Earhardt had wormed her way into his thoughts and as much as he tried he couldn't shut them out. Somehow just spending time with her without any extra baggage hanging over them was like a wrecking ball to the walls he had carefully built. He had once admitted that he had indeed fallen for her but he had also moved on or at least he thought he had.

"You're not making any sense," Dillon pointed about as he took a seat as well.

"I told you about Turtle Cove, right? And how I met Taylor and her family?"

Dillon nodded wordlessly.

"Yeah well during that time I… I guess I fell in love with her… but it was all wrong…we couldn't get along and she…she was…"

"Infuriating?" Dillon offered.

"...Not part of the plan," Eric countered.

"It was just too strange, we were from two different worlds and could barely have a conversation without one of us losing our heads. But…"

"But there was just something about her that drew to you in," Dillon finished for him understanding exactly what he meant.

"Yeah, but I pushed it away. Like I said we were from two different worlds it would have never worked."

"And?... There has to be more to it than that?" Dillon pushed.

"And I thought she was engaged to someone else," Eric admitted.

"But now you know that's she's not and you've been getting along with her," Dillon put the pieces together.

"The past few weeks have been really weird. When we ran into her at that bar I thought for sure we'd end up arguing about something before the night was over. I did not expect it to turn out the way it did. And every time we hung out after that it was... easy and we had fun. I don't know, none of this makes sense to me."

As Dillon listened to Eric he was beyond surprised. Eric was always the man with a plan, he kept his professional and personal lives separate even if that meant completely ignoring his personal life. He had never let his feelings for an individual influence his judgement when it came to business. But here he was losing his head when they should be putting an end to a rather long winding and tiresome strain. They had long ago come to the conclusion that the deal with Lady Pimvare's associates would not work out for them but instead of pulling the plug they allowed it to drag on for months …

"Hold on... is that the reason we've been flying back and forth between Silver Hills and Briarwood? So you can see Taylor every time we fly in here?" Dillon asked, his exasperation reflecting in his eyes.

"Look, I'm not going to deny that I didn't like seeing Taylor whenever we were in town… just like you enjoyed spending time with Summer," Eric added before Dillon could interrupt him.

"And yeah, it might have been a good excuse but I'm haven't quite lost it yet. I have my reasons for not pulling the plug… And I know you want answers but I don't have all the facts yet so as far as that is concerned I need you to trust me for now."

"It had better be a good reason Myers, this is torture you do realize that, right?"

"Oh… I'm sure you'll pull through. Meeting Summer can't have been all that bad," Eric teased.

"Don't go there Myers, you're the one that's got it bad, real bad. In fact I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're still in love with Earhardt," Dillon stated.

Eric was quiet for a moment. There was no denying it, Dillon was right but the question was, was he ready to admit it aloud again? Was he ready to deal with how he felt?

"Yeah, yeah I am," he sighed.

"Well, for what it's worth I totally approve. She is way more fun to have around than some of those other broads you used to bring to dinner."

Dillon laughed at the scathing look Eric through his way before sling an arm around his friend's neck.

"Look, Taylor's a great girl, maybe a little crazy but then again you're not exactly the picture of sane either. And you like her, you're not denying that and she isn't engaged to… some guy, so you wanna tell me what the real problem is?"

"Hmmm… I don't know, why haven't you asked Summer out as yet?" Eric countered.

Dillon pulled back and narrowed his eyes at the now smirking man beside him.

"That's different. I just met the girl and we're friends, kind of."

"I see, that's very different," Eric teased.

"I know what you're doing and teasing me about my… situation with Summer isn't going to get me off your back. We both know this different worlds thing is bull. You don't like a lot of people so if you love this girl she has to be really special and anything she might have against her doesn't matter to you. So, if you're really in love with her do something about it, talk to her. It's not going to be easy but it's the only way out of this weird…thing… you have going on."

Eric was quiet as he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. He turned back to look at Dillon with a very serious expression.

"You realize that was a very Wes speech, don't you?" he said with a smile playing on his lips.

"I know," Dillon replied allowing his head to fall.

"But I figured you needed more of a pep talk than me telling you to f**** it and do something about it or move on."

"I could do that," Eric smiled as he got to his feet.

"I could use a drink," Dillon added as he joined him.

"Yeah a drink sounds good right about now."

With smiles playing about their lips the duo made their way back inside unaware of the lean figure by the window having overheard their conversation.

Lady Necrolai Pimvare stepped out of the shadow of the drapes with a scowl on her face. Eavesdropping wasn't her intention but when the opportunity to discover what had the otherwise focused Eric so distracted was far too tempting. And she thanked her stars that she did it. Though she hadn't heard the entire conversation she had heard enough. Eric in love with some tramp was inconceivable. Of course she knew nothing about the girl but this liaison could not be allowed. Since the day her daughter Camille was born she had planned for her to marry Eric, to unite her family with that of her dearest friend. And now that the fortune she had so carefully collected was coming to its end it was the perfect way to replenish her resources.

It was fortunate that Eric was still conflicted about his feelings. That would buy her some more time. Whether something came of this relationship or not meant nothing to her she would not take any risks. Whoever this girl that had captured Eric's affections was, was simply and obstacle in her path, and the evil smirk that replaced her scowl said it all, she knew exactly what to do with obstacles.

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><p>That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think.<p>

I've got a couple of new ideas that are going to take this story on a slightly different path than I first intended but I'm really excited to see how it turns out.

Till next time…


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